This past weekend at We Local, I went to a workshop titled, “Adopt an Active Office Lifestyle”, which addressed the harm sedentary jobs pose against our health and suggested ways in which to stay active while at work. I was surprised to learn that 80% of US jobs are sedentary and these sedentary habits are linked to obesity and diabetes. Throughout the whole talk, the presenters stressed that too little exercise is not the same as too much sitting. This talk was focused on the too much sitting aspect, while acknowledging that too little exercise is also a problem that many Americans face.
In order to combat the negative effects of sedentary jobs, they recommended low intensity, short duration muscular movements that happen frequently throughout the day. They suggested that every 20 minutes, you should do approximately 2 minutes of standing or movement so your body is stimulated. Some of their (and my) recommendations are below:
- Change positions regularly
- Hold meetings standing up
- Take the stairs
- Hold walking meetings (walk around the office or block)
- Stand up and pace during phone calls
- Walk to a colleagues office/cubicle instead of calling or messaging
- Set calendar reminders for posture check and movement
- Add an office exercise break to your day (lunch is a great time to do this)
- Relocate commonly used items to force you to get up to retrieve them
- Park farther from the office
- Do small exercises while heating up your lunch
- Stretch as you walk through the office
- Download movement reminder/suggestion apps
- Walk briskly
- Walk to the farther bathroom/printer
- Do squats in the bathroom
- Walk or bike to work
- Deskercises!
Some common deskercises are:
- Stretching
- Arm circles
- Squats
- Wall sits
- Lunges
- Desk/wall push ups
- Standing leg extensions
- Balancing
- Squeeze knees together
- Engage core
- Straighten and bend leg when seated
- Raise bent leg when seated
- Leg circles
- Glute clench
- Seated calf raise
I’m excited to try and incorporate some of these tips on my next co-op. I am also going to try some this term during my long hours at the library. Let us know some of your favorite active office tips below in the comments!!
