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20 easy health tips to keep you more active at work
If you regularly find yourself tied to your desk the entire day at the office, you may want to consider being more active, as sitting down for too long every day can trigger health risks that are reportedly as high as those from smoking.
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Sitting correctly every day can help you feel more energized at work. (Shutterstock/File)
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f you regularly find yourself tied to your desk the entire day at the office, you may want to consider being more active, as sitting down for too long every day can trigger health risks that are reportedly as high as those from smoking, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
According to kompas.com, the negative effects of sitting all day are irreversible and cannot be compensated by good health habits in other areas. Hence, the only way to avoid these health risks is by decreasing the amount of time spent sitting and being more active.
Researchers from the University of Warwick reported that to cancel the negative effects of sitting too long, you have to walk as far as 11 kilometers or stand for seven to eight hours.
If you think doing either of those two is rather impossible, there are, luckily, other ways to make you more active at work. Below are some suggestions:
Read also: How to sit correctly at your desk
- Walk or do some stretching for at least 3-4 minutes every hour.
- Work at a standing desk.
- Have a meeting while standing.
- Buy lunch or an afternoon snack at a place far away that you reach by walking.
- Get your coffee at a coffee joint not so close to your office.
- Park your car or motorcycle far away from the entrance of the office building.
- Walk over to your colleagues' desks to communicate while at the office, instead of calling or emailing them or sending chat messages.
- If you need to go to the restroom, pick the one on the floor above of below your office – and don’t use the elevator to get there.
- Use the stairs to reach your office, take a break to buy coffee at the lobby or have lunch.
- If your office floor is quite high, opt for the elevator or escalator for several floors and then continue using the stairs.
- Shake your feet by tapping them and rotating your ankles while working to increase blood circulation.
- Always use the trash bin, printer, fax/photocopy machine farthest from your desk.
- Circle your office building when going back after lunch or coming too early in the morning.
- Get off at the bus stop before your actual office bus stop and then walk to the office.
- Walk around the room when making a phone call.
- Change your position or posture when sitting as often as possible.
- Stretch your wrist, arm and neck muscles after hours of typing.
- Do half-squats, little jumps or alternately balancing your body on one foot while waiting for the coffee machine to make coffee.
- Get up as much as possible to get water. (kes)
