If you think you can get away with being lazy today, you’re sadly mistaken. Although you may not have realised, it’s national ‘Work Out at Work’ day – and we’re determined to get you all moving. There’ll be no slackers on our watch...
Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to drop to the office floor and start doing press-ups. Working out at work needn’t involve full gym kit and a will of iron – it’s all about the little changes that can help to make a big difference. A staggering 42% of adults don’t get enough exercise each week – a problem that could easily be remedied by some small lifestyle alterations.
Ready for your mini workout? Tom Haynes, Personal Trainer and fitness consultant at York Fitness, has given us some top tips for how to stay on the move during the working day:
Tear up your waste paper to recycle
Don’t use the electric shredder – next time you need to recycle documents, tear them up manually so you engage your chest, biceps and triceps muscles and burn a few more calories. You’ll be doing your bit to help reduce energy usage in the office, too.
Send your work to a printer in the office that is further away
By walking those extra few steps each time you need to print something, you are not only increasing your daily step count and getting your blood flowing, but you are also giving yourself a longer break from your computer screen. This can help to alleviate eye stress and strain as well.
Don’t make internal calls – get up and speak to people
Next time you need to speak to a colleague, get up from your desk and go over to speak to them. Conversations face to face can help you build better relationships with your colleagues, and you’ll be giving yourself a break from your desk. A short walk can help to loosen up muscles that might be tight and sore from sitting in the same position for a long time too.
Get out of your chairs and use the stairs
If you have stairs in your office, try to take a short break from your desk once or twice a day and use them. After lunch we often get sluggish - taking a brisk walk up and down a flight or two of stairs will help to wake you up and burn calories, invigorating you for the rest of the afternoon.
Elbows off the table!
Challenge yourself today with a team member, to see who can last the longest without leaning over and putting your elbows on the desk. To provide greater support to your back, sit upright with good posture, and keep abdominal muscles engaged and firm.
Already do everything you can to keep active in the office? Congratulations. We’re not going to let you get off lightly though – why not go for a walk in your lunch break, or find a class such as aerobics or spinning to attend after work?
