The majority of people spend most of their waking hours at work. For the millions of Americans with desk jobs this can result in a very sedentary lifestyle. Although this problem cannot be solved entirely, there are lots of things that you can do to stay healthy while on the job.
Have Meetings “On-the-Go”- This time of year is great for taking your meetings outdoors. Instead of meeting in a stuffy conference room, take a small notepad and start walking. Obviously only certain types of meetings can be made “mobile” but it is great for brainstorming, employee reviews, and other “discussion based” situations. Not only will you be getting exercise, but the fresh air can be rejuvenating and increase your productivity for the rest of the day.
Exercise at Your Desk- You may look silly doing it, but in the long run you’ll be glad you did. You can very easily exercise and/or stretch various parts of your body while sitting at your desk. Here are just a couple of examples of things you can do:
- Shoulders: Roll your shoulders back and forth. This will help relieve tension.
- Wrists and Ankles: You can also roll your wrists and ankles. Rolling your wrists is especially good for people that spend a lot of time typing. Ankle rolls can prevent you from developing blood clots in the future.
- Abdomen: Contract your abdominal and glutei muscles, hold them for a few seconds, then release.
Depending on how comfortable you are in your office, you can find lots of more intense exercises online.
Drink Lots of Water- Make sure to keep the water bottle on your desk full at all times. There are lots of benefits to drinking water throughout your workday.
- The more water you drink, the less likely you are to snack. Not only does it fill you up, but it will satisfy the craving if you are only looking to snack because you’re bored.
- Hydration can help to reduce headaches that can be brought on from staring at a computer screen all day.
- It gives you an excuse to move around. Whether it’s a short walk to the water cooler or to the restroom, it gets you up and moving.
Snack Healthy- Stock up on healthy snacks to munch on during the day. Instead of getting a candy bar from the vending machine have an energy or granola bar. If you can’t seem to ditch things like chips and sweets, package them up in sandwich bags according to the serving size. This way when they’re gone, they’re gone, and you won’t have a big bag to munch out of all day. Snacking throughout the day will also prevent you from going home hungry and eating junk food before dinner.
Take Short Breaks- Find excuses to get up and move around (without disturbing co-workers, of course). This will get your muscles moving and your circulation flowing. And it will make a difference, even if it’s just the short walk to the restroom or break-room. Also, instead of calling or e-mailing someone a question, walk across the building to their office and ask in-person.
These are all small steps that you can take to avoid having health problems in the future.
