Business people sitting on fitness balls ()
If you’ve ever worked in an office, you are well aware how fast pounds can pack on sitting at a desk 40 hours a week. One minute you’re strong and fit and the next you’re struggling to button that top button on your jeans. Suddenly, you realize you’ve become a victim of the sedentary office life. While it can affect the best of us, there are solutions to keep your desk life fun and fit.
Park far away. Parking far out, you force yourself to take extra steps and increase movement in your day both to and from your office door. This increases the blood flow and gives you some extra steps on your Fitbit. You’ll also get some fresh air to help wake you up on your way in the office. If you’ve had a rough day at work, the few minutes’ walk can also serve as a diffuser for a stressful day.
Bring workout gear to work. Most employers don’t mind if you have a small weight to lift here and there, a grip trainer or even a yoga ball to sit on. So long as you are not taking too much time away from work or distracting other employees, you should consider bringing something to increase your physical activity in some way. Many studies have shown that sitting on a yoga ball can increase core strength and promote good posture.
Get up and walk as much as you can. Again, so long as you’re not slacking off on work or distracting other employees, getting up at least once an hour is highly encouraged. Not only are you getting the blood flowing, you’re increasing your steps and daily movement, which helps burn calories. You can even find ways to make it a productive part of work by offering to grab papers off the printer for your colleagues or walk over to talk to your co-worker across the office instead of calling/emailing them.
Be mindful about snacking. It’s easy to grab the cheap junk food at the vending machines or lose track of how much snacking you’ve actually done in one day. Packing your snacks at home allows you the opportunity to make healthy decisions about your office snacking and also allows you to ration how much you should bring to your office. Irresponsible snacking is a huge culprit to a fit lifestyle.
Meal prep. Along with preparing snacks at home, you should also prepare meals at home. This gives you the opportunity to stay in control of your eating proportions and pack healthy meals to nourish your body. Fast food restaurants are quick and easy, but they’re often loaded with unhealthy options and can add up in costs. Eating pre-made meals is cheaper, healthier and can be portioned to your liking.
Drink water. You’ve heard it a million times: “drink more water.” The benefits of drinking plenty of water seem endless, from better skin to weight loss, water is the magical serum that seems to cure-all. When it comes to office life, drinking more water can fill your stomach and give it the feeling of being fuller. This helps cut back on snacking and helps you meet your daily water requirements. Keeping a bottle at arm’s reach each day will increase your likeliness to drink more and serve as a substitute reminder when you are hankering for a snack instead.
Being fit isn’t just about looking good; it’s also about being healthy. Having a desk job doesn’t have to be all sitting around packing on the pounds if you take the daily steps to stay active. Literally!
