How to Keep Active While Working in an Office

Many office jobs require the workers to sit behind their desks for several hours every day. As research shows, working in the same place and position for long periods can lead to many health issues, such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. The good news is that there are different measures that you can take to avoid inactivity at work. Read on to learn how to keep active while working in an office. 

Move Around

Research indicates that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 0.2% as a result of sitting for more than five hours in the same position. Additionally, the size of your waist also increases as a result of prolonged sitting. Back pain is the other problem that you can also experience if you sit in your office chair for too long. Therefore, you should try to use any opportunity to move around your office to flex your muscles and improve the flow of blood. 

Instead of sending an email, you can walk to your coworker’s desk and talk to them. Instead of using an elevator, you can walk up the stairs, and this is a very good form of exercise. You can also consider reorganizing your desk so that you can stand up or move around to the tools or equipment that you want to use for your work. 

Get the Right Office Desk

You can get an adjustable desk so that you can get some flexibility when you are working. A flexible desk can help you introduce exercise into your daily work routine since you can work from a standing position, which allows you to stretch and exercise your muscles. Some desks also come with built-in treadmills that allow you to get your daily steps in at work. Because these desks allow you to walk while working, they can help increase your energy. There are different types of treadmill desks that you can choose from to stay active at the office.

On top of that, you should also consider getting a suitable office chair. For instance, a rolling chair gives you flexibility so that you can move to different locations within your office. When you turn your chair, different parts of your body also move, which is good for your overall health. Any movement of the body is encouraged since it prevents muscle and joint aches and keeps all the systems in your body functioning at full capacity. 

Office Fitness Challenge

You can make it a challenge to be active together with your coworkers. For instance, stretch classes and yoga breaks in between office hours can help increase efficiency while at the same time improving the well-being of the employees. When you are working as a group, and you have the right support network, it is easier to make a variety of healthy choices that can promote fun and exercise at work. You can also assign each other short tasks to accomplish within a certain period. 

Take a Break

You should take an active break where you can do some light exercises like stretching your muscles. A short break of about 5 to 10 minutes is enough to squeeze in a good workout. This will help you to refresh and clear your mind so that you can be more productive when you get back to your regular work. Social interaction during tea or lunch break can also help boost your wellness. Exercise is also good for your mental health since it helps you prevent conditions like stress that can affect your productivity. 

Refurbish Your Office Space

You can remove chairs and replace them with bounce balls so that you can have greater flexibility. When you sit on a bouncing ball, you cannot relax completely to the extent of letting go. Instead, the balls are designed to keep you active in whatever you are doing. You can also encourage walking meetings so that everyone is pacing around the room when you discuss business issues. It is also a good idea to introduce indoor games at your workplace. Furthermore, advising the workers on nutrition and activity can go a long way in promoting good health among them.    

Staying seated for long periods at work can cause serious conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While an office job might confine you to your desk most of the time, there are different things that you can do to stay active at work. You need to get the right office equipment that gives you flexibility so that you are not confined to one position the whole day. You should also consider doing light exercises in your free time to boost your blood flow and circulation.