To review, in Part 1 we learned about all of the risks and negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, as well as the benefits of movement. Today we are focusing on what you can do when working in an office environment.
24 ways to add more movement to your day when working at the office or in your own home office:
· Walk or bike instead of driving if you are close enough.
· During your commute you can go glute clenches or abdominal tightening if sitting, or calf raises if you are standing on public transportation. Plus, you get a bonus with standing as well!
· Park farther out in the parking lot.
· Take the stairs. You can make this interesting by changing how you take them- forwards, sideways, or even backwards; on your toes, flat foot even on your heels- just be safe. You can get off of the elevator 2 floors below and walk up, you can take the stairs to use another floor’s restrooms, etcetera.
· Take lunch outside, walk around some and even find some objects that you can step up and over (fire hydrants, curbs, rocks, sticks, etc.) to challenge your legs and balance. You can also practice balance walking on cracks, painted lines or even the raised curb as a better challenge. Try walking on uneven surfaces as well.
· Get a standing desk or a sit–stand converting desk.
· Walk or stand as you talk on the phone.
· Get a walking pad, under desk bike or under desk elliptical to have the option for activity if you sit at a desk all day.
· Prioritize walking during your day, however you are able to…. Get creative!
· Schedule walking meetings.
· Stay hydrated, its good for you and will increase bathroom breaks.
· Set a timer for every 30 minutes to get up and stretch.
· Have standing meetings.
· Do desk stretches:
o Try to rotate in your chair with keeping your hips facing forward, twist your waist and shoulders to the right and left going as far as you can.
o Try to move your spine in other directions too- you can do small circles with the upper, mid and lower back, bend forward and extend back, tilt side to side. You can also move your hips and pelvis in a circle as well or tuck / untuck your tailbone.
o Stretch your fingers and toes out, move your wrists around especially if you type a lot- set a timer to do this about once per hour.
o You can look into getting a grip strengthener to use when talking on the phone, or when brainstorming.
· You can also do desk push-ups, chair dips, leg curls and extensions, squats or lunges for strengthening at your desk.
· Move your trash can further away from you so you have to get up to use it.
· Try to take notes or write lists with the other hand, or hold the phone with the other hand to challenge your brain some throughout the day.
· Sit on a stability ball for increased muscle work while sitting at working.
· Take the stairs and skip the elevator (for a few flights).
· Use a smaller cup so you will need to get refills more often- a reason to get up!
· Stretch your shoulders when walking through doorways.
· Focus on your breathing as you are walking or even sitting. Try to deepen your breath if it is shallow or do slight holds after you inhale or after you exhale or both. Play around with it!
· Instead of texting or emailing your questions- get up and ask the individual in person. Move your body around, get some face-to-face time and you probably will get an answer faster!
· Last but not least- Get a fitness tracker- get credit for all of the activity that you already do.
That was quite a list and I could probably continue on with more but I think you get the idea. I would suggest focusing on a few of these that seemed to make sense for you at first, then add more to challenge yourself at a later time!
References:
Next Time:
Stay tuned for my next blog in 2 weeks for How to Incorporate Movement into Your Busy
Day! Part 3: 23 Tips for adding movement when you are a busy at-home parent or homemaker.
Author: Jen Hassaj | 3-20-2024
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