"Healthy body, healthy mind." Everyone knows the saying, but with the average employee spending more sedentary time because they are desk-bound, commuting in cars or driving as part of their work, it can be difficult to stay fit at work.
However, small tweaks to an everyday routine at work can make a big difference to overall wellbeing. Here are 10 ideas to help keep on the move during the working day.
1. Walk the Final Third
Shifting the spare tyre by picking the furthest space from the office building to park the car is a simple but effective habit. Walking an extra 20 minutes a day works wonders and builds confidence to increase exercise in general. Parking a little further away than necessary is one of the easiest changes to make.
2. Take the Stairs
For some reason a trip up a couple of flights of stairs — something done without thinking at home — is always done by lift in the office. Breaking the habit and going by foot, even if only for one flight, instead of defaulting to the lift every time, adds up over the course of a working week.
3. Get the Tea Round In
The most popular people in any office are the ones who get regular tea rounds in. Taking advantage of getting on feet and stretching limbs to walk to the office kitchen and get the hot drinks in makes a difference. Better still, being the one who pops to the coffee shop to get some fresh air adds an extra burst of movement to the day.
Using the toilets further away is another option — when keeping hydrated at work, the chances are a trip to the bathroom will be needed a few times each day. Increasing the distance by going to the toilets in a different part of the office adds steps without any extra effort.
4. Standing Meetings
Meetings are prime time for long periods of sitting down. Research shows standing meetings shorten their length and are better for overall health. Introducing the idea to a team is worth doing — and for those who are the boss, there is no excuse not to start now.
5. Find a New Sandwich Shop
As creatures of habit, many people go to the same place to get the same lunch to eat at the same desk each day. Introducing new places to have lunch and, in the summer, new places to eat outside makes lunchtime an opportunity to exercise and enjoy food, rather than rushing back to the nearest option. Lunchtime is a valuable window for movement.
6. Take a Non-Smoking Break
Everyone is allowed a break during the working day — not just smokers. Making a new health habit a non-smoking break by going outside for some fresh air twice a day is a simple way to add movement and reset during the working day.
7. Lunchtime Sport
This is perhaps the most obvious one. It does not have to be a sweaty visit to a gym — a walk, yoga or pilates are all alternatives that will keep the body mobile rather than desk-bound. It is worth the time investment.
8. Find a New Pre- or Post-Work Routine
Most people follow the path of least resistance to and from work each day. Identifying a time in the working day each week when it would be possible to join a club or do some sort of activity is a worthwhile exercise. For those with a long commute, doing something near the office after work will save time in the car and put the mind in a great state for the evening.
9. Cycle or Walk to Work
The best option of all for most people is to stop using cars, trains and buses and get to work independently. Starting in the summer months, if it is feasible, thinking about cycling or walking to work is one of the most impactful changes that can be made to a daily routine.
10. Question the Habits
There are lots of ideas here and not everyone will suit every individual — but the critical point is to step back, question habits, and identify where activity can be chosen over inertia. Taking time to do this and the benefits will soon follow.
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