7 Easy Tips to Stay Active Despite Having a Desk Job
Hira Nazir
Public Health Professional | Health Systems Strengthening, Universal Health Coverage, Primary Health Care | Advocate for: Female & SRHR Equity, Climate Change, MNCH & Global Health Security| Chevening Scholar (2020-21)
So many of us have jobs that require us to sit for long hours and remain static at our workstations. It gets tedious and challenging at times; the nature of a desk job takes a toll on one's physical and mental health. Incorporating a workout or physical activity is a great way to reduce stress and keep the mind fresh.
The benefits of physical activity during office time are many, but the biggest is having a healthy mind. Staying active elevates the mood, keeps the mind fresh, and increases the general well-being and overall performance of an individual. It also saves from various illnesses and improves mental capabilities.?
7 Practical Ways to Stay Active At Your Desk
Do you also find yourself in a similar situation: Long, boring, sitting life? Worry not. This blog will navigate 7 valuable and easy tips to help you stay more active while having a regular 9 to 5 job.
1.?Use a Cycle For Your Commute.
Cycling to the office is one of the best ways to keep fit. It is a popular form of cardio that takes your heart rate high and burns fat. Cycling to the office can be a great exercise to keep fresh. ?Research shows that people who cycled to their office revealed improved cardiovascular health. They remained healthier with improved cardiorespiratory fitness, referring to a direct positive relation between cycling and physical health.
Besides, cycling also assists you in cutting your fuel cost and allows you to feel the fresh air around you. You can also utilize the opportunity to take photos; of course, if you are not getting late!
2.?Take the Stairs.
Office stairs are not as busy a site as the elevators. You may feel a bit lonely using the stairs, but it’s an excellent way to keep active at the office. Using stairs instead of the elevator helps burn calories and adds to routine exercise. It is also one of the best forms of cardio and improves blood circulation in the body, particularly in the legs.
If you start taking the stairs today, your stamina will improve in less than a month. Initially, one might feel some cramps and breathlessness, but soon, you’ll see that climbing 50 to 60 stairs is no longer a hectic task.
Climbing stairs also helps in maintaining balance and improving stamina. This is especially useful for desk workers. It aids in stabilizing the muscles in the feet and ankle.
Here are some ways you can incorporate taking stairs at work:
1.?Take stairs instead of elevators while going to your work desk and when you leave.
2.? Choose stairs if you have to go for the lunch break.
3.??Use stairs while going to a different floor for any task.
4.??Prioritizing stairs over an elevator in all instances will help you stay fit.
3. ?Set Up a Reminder to Move Around.
It’s pretty common to find office workers glued to their laptop screens. And forgetting to move around in this situation is quite natural. Setting a reminder for every couple of hours to have a quick stroll around the office space is a great way to stay active.
You can easily set a “get up and move” alarm on your phone, or you can use these 5 popular apps to get you up and stay healthy at the workplace are:
?Just install the app on your phone and set reminders for your desired time interval. It will automatically notify you to get up from your work desk and have a walk at specific breaks.
Wearing a smartwatch is also an excellent alternative to being reminded of an active break. These watches have in-built sensors that track your activity and notify you automatically if you sit for long hours without breaks at intervals.
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?4. Have Active Lunch Breaks,
First, lunch breaks are essential!?Research shows that people who take lunch breaks and don't work like robots around the clock stay fit.
Many of us look forward to lunch breaks for lazing around, but utilizing them to have a quick walk or light exercises can prove quite beneficial for staying active. Lunch breaks are usually hour-long, and a quick workout or a walk around is doable.
Planning to increase your activity during lunch breaks can benefit your general well-being. The type of activity you choose depends on the facilities you'd have at your workplace.
Tips to stay active during your lunch break:
●??If your workstation is small and short on space, you can always do quick stretches in your cabin.
●??You can volunteer to get your colleague their meal and walk to the café for those extra steps.
●???If you have access to a shower and a spare area, you can bring your workout gear and yoga mat for a quick 15-minute session.
●???If you can manage, going up and down the stairs is another great activity during your lunch breaks.
5. Stretch Frequently at Your Workstation.
Not everyone can leave their desks. Some people have to stay present at their office. In that case, you can do quick stretches at your desk to stay active and let the blood flow steady.
You can download some stretches exercises on your phone and squeeze in a short 15 minutes session at timed intervals. You can start with engaging your arms and proceed towards the neck, lower back and legs.
Stretches help keep good posture and maintain flexibility in muscles and keep the mind relaxed.
6. Participating in Activity Sessions at Work.
With advancing times, most places are mindful of the harmful effects of long-term sitting, and employers frequently engage their employees in physical activities at work. Most companies have started fitness challenges for their employees to keep them disciplined and maintain an active lifestyle. These activities can also teach you a great deal of knowledge about health and wellness.
Having a group or community approach towards a mutual goal always works better than striving individually.
Several workplace activities take place, ranging from different workout challenges to dedicating days for wellness through activities. These exercises act as a timely reminder to help build a team approach in an individual, pushing them towards improved physical activity.
7. Keep a Steps Goal.
It becomes easier if you have small milestones to achieve daily. Tracking your daily steps and keeping specific targets help in staying active. It also pushes one to achieve the goal by turning waiting time into moving around, volunteering for a coffee run and other small tasks.
You will be surprised to see how many steps you can cover in a day by just being a little more active than your usual routine. You can start by keeping a set step target for every day. It’ll help you in staying focused and dedicated to achieving it.
Bottom Line
I hope you benefited from these quick and practical tips to stay active at your office desk. Go on, set those reminders for desk breaks, do those stretches, climb the stairs and take out your bicycle to commute to work tomorrow morning.
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References
Nonprofit & Public Health Professional | Monitoring and Evaluation | Program Management | Data Analysis
2 年Would love to read one that's curated for Pakistan work culture.
Freelance Health & wellness Writer
2 年Very informative and accurately said that small milestones are easy to achieve I will set a target for myself now ?? ??
Dental surgeon & Freelance health content writer.
2 年You are right hira. Thanks for sharing this article.
Ghostwriting productivity content for high-performing leaders & coaches | Educational Email Courses | Battle-tested frameworks to beat procrastination
2 年Great share, Hira. I usually take stairs to ensure some level of physical activity during office hours.
Corporate Sustainability and Inclusion at the Pakistan Business Council
2 年Thank you for sharing Hira!