Hit 10,000 steps, improve your posture, and do your body some good with these tips and tricks.
If you have a desk job, you know how challenging it can be to fit exercise into your busy schedule. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on staying active and resign yourself to hours of sitting.
Incorporating small bursts of exercise throughout your day can boost your fitness, keep you energized, and help you stay focused during long stretches of projects, conference calls, and email overload. To help you stay active and avoid those midday slumps, we’ve put together this guide for working out and staying fit at your desk.
Here’s how to stay active while working a desk job:
Get a standing desk
Using a standing desk has countless benefits. Over time, it can correct your posture, improve your blood flow (and, in turn, your circulation), and boost your energy and focus. People who use a standing desk regularly also find that their productivity increases when they’re standing and experience less fatigue when working long hours. Since you have the option to sit and stand, you can always plunk back down in your chair when you get tired.
Use a walking pad
When you’re working eight hours a day (or more), it can be hard to get enough exercise and almost impossible to reach that 10,000-step goal. Using a walking pad while you type and take conference calls allows you to kill two birds with one stone, and has benefits that stretch beyond physical fitness. Many find that it makes them feel more energized and boosts their productivity, so it’s a win-win.
Walk around when you take your calls
For those who don’t have the space or don’t want to clutter up their office with a bulky piece of machinery, walking around your home while you take work calls is a great option. This practice will allow you to get in some extra steps and reap those brain-boosting, energy-improving benefits. If you want to go this route, you’ll want a good-quality headset so you don’t miss a word.
Invest in a balance board or balance chair
Balance boards and chairs encourage your muscles to turn on and prevent slouching, reducing back pain and promoting better posture with continued use. Since your muscles will be firing to keep you upright, you may also experience reduced fatigue and enhanced focus throughout your workday.
Stretch between meetings
If you can squeeze some simple stretches in during your workday, your body will thank you for it. A few minutes between every meeting can help reduce muscle tension, improve posture, increase flexibility, and boost circulation. It can also reduce stress and heighten focus, so it’ll benefit your mental health and clarity, too.
Monitor your activity using a fitness tracker
If you need a bit of extra encouragement to get moving, a fitness tracker is a worthwhile investment. Adjust your settings to suit your goals, adding movement reminders and monitoring your stats to see where and how you can improve. Seeing everything laid out will help you create reasonable goals to get you in the best mental and physical shape, even on your toughest workdays.
