Workplace Wellness
By: Erin Wellman
The human body is designed to move. But what if your job does not allow you to move as much as you'd like? If you're like me, you workout in the morning and feel good about the 7,000+ steps you've gotten in from your cardio and your muscles are feeling fatigued but good. But as soon as you get to the office, you sit. How is it that you can't even manage to get those extra 3,000 steps in to hit your goal? Or why do you feel more tired when you leave the office after sitting all day? I definitely don't have these topics mastered yet but I do know that I have had to get creative with my "exercises" when it relates to 8:30-5 Monday through Friday.
Once I get to my desk, I am pretty much stationed there or in another meeting room for the majority of my day. I have realized that I feel lethargic when I just sit. My focus starts dwindling as the hours progress.
Here are 3 simple ways that may help you to get refocused, re-energized and get those extra steps in:
1. Connect to a printer that is not in your office. This will force you to walk to the location in the building where those papers are waiting for you.
2. Schedule a quick "stand up" meeting with someone you need to connect with. This will help eliminate emails that get piled up in your inbox and also allow you to move a little. (Note, I have found that quick 15 minute check ins are way more productive than sitting for an hour in a meeting room).
3. Find a walking buddy. If you need that 3:00 afternoon pick me up, find someone else who will "office walk" with you for a quick 10-15 minutes. Another option could be to make that your last 15 minutes of your lunch break.
Next, if you don't actually have the space in your schedule to go for a walk, here are 3 exercises to do while stationed at your desk:
1. When you're on the phone, try a wall sit. Obviously you don't want the person on the other end to hear you straining if this isn't a normal routine. But this will help build some muscle as you "sit there". Maybe work on increasing the length you do the wall sit over time.
2. Look into a stand up desk. A study shows that you burn .1-.2 calories per minute while standing rather than sitting. While standing, you could also get a few squats or calf raises in.
3. If you're a fan of push ups, don't worry, you can do those at your desk too without having to get on the ground. Simply put your hands on the edge of your desk, angle your body, and do a push up as though you were doing it on the floor.
These 6 ideas may seem small but starting small is better than starting at all.
I'd like to challenge you to get creative and get moving at the office. Try to take a break from sitting and move in some way every 30 minutes. I believe that you will feel better physically and mentally. Gather some accountability around the office and enjoy moving a little more.
