Learn a few simple ways to stay active at work.
Let’s face it; if you’re working at an office desk and sitting all day long, you’re probably not getting the physical activity your body needs. We know the recommended 10,000 steps and 30 minutes 3 times a week, but sometimes that’s not enough to counteract the ill-effect of sitting for 8 hours at a time. However, there are so many benefits to moving regularly, including an increase in productivity! If you’re struggling to combat the sedentary nature of your job, check out these tips to get active and prevent poor health from sitting all day.
Get a Pedometer
Sometimes just knowing how many steps you’re taking in a day is a good motivator to take even more steps. If you have a smartphone, chances are it has a pedometer and a health-tracking app. Ideally, you should get about 10,000 steps, but if you’re struggling to hit that, you can try:
- Walking across the hall to talk to a coworker instead of emailing them
- Taking the stairs instead of an elevator
- Parking your car further away from the entrance
- Taking a longer, roundabout way to your desk or the break room
- Using the bathroom that’s further away
- Take a walking lunch break (Try listening to an audiobook while you walk for good motivation!)
Stand Up
Standing up more often throughout the day can also help you combat poor health side effects of sitting in your office all day. Holding standing-only meetings to encourage your entire office to join in your new active lifestyle is a great idea if you can manage that, however, not everyone will be as enthusiastic about standing for an hour. Fortunately, just standing up more often throughout the day, and not necessarily standing for long durations, is enough to help, so getting a standing workstation that you can choose to sit or stand at different times throughout the day is a really good option. If you’re looking for a good motivator, drink a lot more water. Not only will you be hydrated, but you will also have to stand up and walk to the bathroom more times in your work day!
Re-Organize Your Office
Consider your office layout and your frequently used items, like your telephone, or your printer. Having those items within arms reach is really convenient, but not very healthy. Ideally, you should be standing up once every ten minutes. Organizing your office to encourage you to stand more frequently will help you incorporate this kind of movement into your regular work day. While it will take some time to adjust, you’ll be amazed at how well you feel once it’s a part of your routine.
Office Furniture from Edwards & Hill
Are you ready for an office design that fosters productivity in your and your employees? Edwards & Hill can help you design and install the perfect office design for your facility. Edwards & Hill is a leading office, education, medical, and hospitality furniture provider with quality design and installation services for any style or scale. If you are ready to get your healthcare design started, contact us online or give us a call at 301-317-4250. For more furniture design tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Flickr, YouTube, and Google+.