There are countless reasons to find ways to work fitness into your daily routine—people who exercise tend to have more energy and be both healthier and happier in general than those who live more sedentary lifestyles. Additionally, lack of physical fitness and movement has been linked to several illnesses. Research has found that physical inactivity can lead to the development of certain cancers, certain cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, obesity, anxiety, depression, and much more.
It’s easy to allow the day to slip away from you with your nose down, but it’s important to your health and, ultimately, your work product, to make sure you prioritize breaks and make time for movement during your day. Sports scientist, Jack Groppel found that “interspersing short movements and exercises throughout the workday can boost employee energy, engagement, and efficiency.” Groppel created Organizations in MOTION, a program piloted in a number of New Balance offices to determine how movement in the workplace can contribute to intellectual performance and noted that even small actions can make a difference in personal and company performance.
So what can you do to add a little movement to your daily office routine? Try one of these easy activities to get your blood and brain pumping.
10 Easy Ways to Fit Fitness Into Your Workday
Get a standing desk.
You don’t have to start standing immediately, you can work your way up to it. Even a few minutes a day on your feet and out of your seat can make a huge difference.
Park far away from the entrance.
And, take the stairs to get to your office.
Have an office on the first floor? Walk around the building before you go in, or power walk from your car to the door. Anything you can do to prolong that movement is going to work in your favor.
Start holding walking meetings.
We talked about them in our previous post, NAME, but to sum up, a walking meeting is exactly what it sounds like–a meeting done while walking! Get out of the conference room and into the sunshine. You’ll get the blood pumping a bit and the cranial juices flowing so, not only will you meet your movement goals for the day, but you might also come up with a few creative ideas while you’re at it.
If you go out to lunch, walk there and back.
Use the upstairs bathroom.
Or the one down the hall. Or, whichever one is going to be more of a hike for you to get to. That way you get to move a little more to get there.
Get up and go talk to your coworkers.
Don’t send an email. Don’t shoot them an IM. Get up, walk to their desk, and have a chat with them. The movement will be as beneficial to you as the face time.
Curl while you conference.
Keep a couple of dumbbells under your desk and bust them out during your next long-winded conference call.
Lengthen your commute.
If you take the bus or train get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way. If you work in an area with heavy traffic, you may even shave off a bit of time by hoofing it.
Skip happy hour.
And go to a spin class or kickball game with your coworkers. It’s a great way to fit in a little fitness each day while also team building in a healthy, alcohol- free environment. You can always go to a late happy hour after your workout.
This post is part of Live Well Frederick, a partnership of government, businesses, faith-based groups, educators, community groups and health organizations dedicated to helping Frederick County residents improve their health.
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