It's hard to stay active when you have to sit at a desk 8 hours a day, but it is possible with these tips on how to stay active at a desk job.
As a blogger, my job is definitely a lot of time spent in front of a computer. This leads to a lot of time sitting and less activity in my day to day life. Because of this, I noticed I was starting to gain a bit of weight and feel fatigued just from sitting too long. If you have a desk job, you probably know what I mean. Here are some ways I learned how to stay active at a desk job.
How to Stay Active at a Desk Job
Park further away from the office – I work at home, but if you work in an actual building away from home, try parking further away, even a block away or more. This will allow you to get in a brisk walk before work and one after so you aren’t just going from the seat at your desk to the one in your car right away.
Walk to go get lunch – If the office you work at is in an urban area, why not walk to get lunch instead of drive? You will not only be getting some activity in, but also some fresh air to break up your day. Plus as an added bonus, you won’t have to deal with traffic! If you prefer to bring your lunch from home, go to a local park near your work and eat it.
Do seated fitness exercises – There are a lot of exercises you can do right at your desk! EVEN simple ones will keep your body moving and use your body as resistance. One simple move is to lift one of your legs up and out and hold for 20 seconds. Slowly lower it and lift the other leg. You can do this throughout the day.
Do push-ups with the wall on bathroom breaks – You don’t need to get on the floor to do push up and your body is enough resistance. Just do 10-20 of them against a wall with your hips and back straight and your feet about hip-width apart set back from the wall.
Make stretching a part of your day – You can stretch right at your desk and stretching really does help your body stay healthy because it improves flexibility and blood circulation. Yoga is a great source of stretching exercise. Check out some seated yoga poses to add in some extra stretching.
Take the stairs– I am sure you have seen this one suggested a lot but it really does make a difference. Any amount of exercise we can add into our day is great!
Sit on an exercise ball – You can find chairs that have an exercise ball as a seat. These make you engage your core while sitting at your desk, plus you can use the ball for tons of different exercises during your break.
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I drink loads of tea and it has the unexpected benefit of getting me up and moving (= restroom visit) every hour or so. I’m lucky that I can get some real exercise at lunchtime about 3 days a week, and on Mondays I do bike + train to get to work. There’s nothing like knowing I have no alternative for getting home, to make me hop on the bike whether I want to or not.