FITNESS TIPS FOR OFFICE WORKERS

Most of us have sedentary jobs, and many of us work in offices. Unfortunately, spending long stretches of time sitting throughout the day is considered sedentary and has been shown to increase metabolic risk and mortality, even in normal weight and otherwise active people. We all know sitting at a desk for hours every day can have a negative impact on our health and our waist line. Many people who work long hours in an office use their jobs as an excuse as to why they can't reach their fitness and physique goals.
In fact, a job requiring you to sit or stand for extended periods of time can actually be harmful to your body and cause muscle pain, weakness and increase the rate of mortality.  It’s time to get up and move, for yourself and for your health. Here are some ways to incorporate fitness into your work day, and these practical tips also helps to reduce your desk time and improve quality of life at the office.

14 FITNESS TIPS FOR THE SEDENTARY WORKERS

1-Always Eat Breakfast

Studies have shown that workers who eat breakfast have better concentration than those who only drink coffee in the mornings. Eating a good breakfast will control hunger and energy during the day.  Skipping this important meal will leave you starving by lunch making you prone to making unhealthy food choices and wreck your metabolism. In addition, those who eat breakfast tend to eat less during the day than those who do not, and thus more easily avoid gaining weight.

2-Bike, Public transit or Walk to Work

Biking to work is of course ideal. Also a sound pick for those within close proximity to their workplace and a bit faster. If you live close to work, this can provide much of the drill you need each week, and you arrive at work feeling more energized and having been exposed to fresh air. If you have to drive, park at the far end of the lot so you have to walk further to the building.

If you need public transportation to work, Get off the bus or train a few stops ahead of your normal stop and walk the rest of the way to work or home. If mass transit isn't an option, find a distant parking spot so that you walk for a few minutes before and after work.

If you live close to your workplace, this could be a good option. Plan a safe route with plenty of sidewalks and well lit areas. Take walks throughout the day to keep your blood flowing and reap the mental benefits of walking. You find regular walks also keep your mind active and improve your focus during a long work day. Plain old walking provides a surprising amount of health and mind benefits such as lowering our resting blood pressure, reducing obesity, and improving our working memory.

3-Use the Stairs

Why depend upon in a stuffy box when you could get a little exercise? We're not suggesting starting on the ground floor and showing up sweaty to your 10 a.m. meeting after slogging up 12 flights of stairs, but establish a commitment to walk rather than calling for the lift for anything under three to five flights depending on your fitness level. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you work in a high-rise, get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way. Try doing this everyday when you get to work and it will become easier and easier. It sounds cliché, but taking the stairs really is a fantastic way to be more active and most of us still don’t do it.  You could burn an extra 20-40 calories per day with just one flight of stairs.

4-Bring a healthy lunch and snacks from home

Rather than eating in the cafeteria, make a healthy lunch at home and sit outside when eating it. Pack a portable lunch or snack i.e. a burrito, a sandwich, a smoothie, fresh fruit and nuts.  Instead of eating sugary snacks from vending machines, bring fruit and nuts and snack on them. Take a walk outside of the office to a nearby park bench or under a shady tree and enjoy your meal/snack there.

5-Prepare for Snacking

When you need a little pick-me-up at work, instead of turning to the vending machine snacks, plan ahead with healthier alternatives at your desk. Make sure you have a healthy, calorie-controlled lunch made up of nutrient-dense foods, and keep your desk drawer well-stocked with snacks. Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, tinned fish and jerky will all last a long time without being refrigerated. Keep a stash of healthy snacks like pretzels, crackers, fiber bars, or fat-free puddings in your desk.  At the start of each week, bring in a five-day supply of cottage cheese, milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, deli meats and any other healthy perishable goods you can snack on, and leave them in the office fridge.

6-Don't Fall off your Shoulders

Don't forget your neck, shoulders, and arms are a critical part of good posture habits, and all of them are affected by desk posture. Adjust your chair to fit your body and sit with your feet flat on the floor. Position your computer monitor at eye level and your keyboard at elbow level, so that your wrists are straight when you type. Move your whole arm when you use the mouse, not just your wrist.

This also helps you see straight forward without requiring downward head tilt, which often precedes the remainder of the upper thoracic into a slumping pattern – especially if you’re not vigilant and you’re prone to lapsing back into bad habits. Using good posture while sitting and standing can reduce stress in your neck, shoulders, and back, (that are so common among the cubicle crowds) improve organ function, and strengthen your all-important core.

7-Visit Your Co-Workers

Instead of calling a coworker, emailing, or sending an instant message, get up and walk to the desk or office of the person you need to speak to. Some things are better said in person anyway. This is a comfortable way to assign a few more stairs into your day and unchain you from your desk, and prepare your face known more about the office.

8-Take a Stand

Standing uses more muscles and burns more calories than sitting. Your body burns approximately 100 calories as hour just by standing. So, train yourself to stand whenever you talk on the telephone and pace during staff meetings if your boss will allow it. Start having walk-and-talk meetings with your co-workers, and get out of the conference room. Take your smart phone with you to take any notes you may need.

9-Take frequent short breaks

Studies have shown that taking micro-breaks (getting up from your desk and moving around every 15 minutes or so) can be more valuable than taking a longer break only once a day. Set a timer for 45 minutes and work non-stop. When the 45 minutes are up, take a break for 15. Instead of surfing the web or chatting in the break room, go outside and take a leisurely 15 minute stroll (unless of course you have a job where your boss expects you to be at your desk every minute). Taking frequent breaks isn’t only good for your brain; it can also be good for your body, too.  Doing your walk outside will also reduce stress, keep you mentally sharp, and even boost your testosterone.

10-Use your Lunch Break

Use a portion of your lunch break to get up and go for a walk. Many of us get so accustomed to eating at a desk that we forget we're supposed to be taking a break to eat and instead continue to check email while polishing off a sandwich. After you eat, use the remaining time you have to go on a walk, whether it’s for five minutes or 15. Instead of just staying seated during your lunch break, use this time to move freely. Is there a gym close by? Increasing your time outside in the fresh air will also improve your mood versus staying inside all day.  If you are going out to eat, why not recommend somewhere everyone can walk to?

11-Think beyond a lunchtime workout

Getting 1 hour of exercise in the middle of the day is better than not doing anything, but that still leaves 7 hours of sitting during the workday. But if you take a brisk, 15-minute walk in the afternoon, you'll be far more productive in your last 2 hours. If you're worried that you don't have time for a walk, you may be surprised that you get your work done more quickly afterwards.

Work those tri’s before and after lunch by cranking out a quick set of 15 dips when you leave for and return from lunch. Just place your hands on your chair and walk your feet out in front of you. Lower yourself until your arms form a 90 degree angle and then press up. Repeat 14 more times.

12-Make trips away from the desk

Assist your company promote its employees to be more physically active without suggesting that they install treadmills at every workstation. Move trash cans out of cubicles to make people walk to throw out garbage. Relocate water coolers by windows, where people will want to congregate. Utilize a small water cup or coffee mug so you accept to make trips to fulfill it. Send that document to a farther printer to produce a few more steps in your day. Use a farther copier. Skip the coffee place right next doorway to your office or the one right in your building. If you have the time walk a little further for your caffeine fix. Try the place a block away so you fit in a few more steps before, during or after work.

13-Don’t forget about fresh air

Offices can often be stuffy and under-ventilated. If possible, open a window near your desk. If not, be certain to require occasional breaks outside the building, even if only for short periods of time. Walk around your building on your break or during lunch hour.

14-Do some Deskercises

Do some exercises at your desk throughout your day like Kicks, Marches, Heel-toes, and Shoulder rolls. You may not be able to jog or do push-ups at your desk, but you can certainly stretch and release tension from your arms, neck, shoulders, and fingers.