I used to get restless sitting in college classes hour after hour… until I started working full-time (nine eight a.m. to five p.m.) and learned what sitting for eight or so hours really feels like.
Sitting on your rear end for long amounts of time is one of the unhealthiest habits us Americans do; researchers have link long bouts of sitting with increased health risks and possible decreased life expectancy.
Read >> Sitting is the New Smoking (Runner’s World)
With a job in corporate wellness, it is ironic to think that while I am working (on my rear end) trying to help others improve their health, my sedentary tasks are a probable detriment to my own health.
If you’re a cubicle warrior like myself, here are some tips to “healthify” your week day, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
1. Stand up (if possible). See if your company can provide a sit-to-stand work station for you. If this isn’t possible, take a break at least once per hour to walk to the restroom or climb a set of stairs for 5-10 minutes.
Video >> 5-minute Exercises at Your Desk (WebMD)
2. Bring your own snacks. Keep a few healthy snack options available near or at our desk – such as Pick-Me-Up Power Bars, Chocolate Espresso Energy Bites, or homemade trail mix – to avoid sugar-laden treats that may be floating around the office (especially during the holidays!).
3. Water, water, water. Keep a reusable bottle of cold water on your desk at all times, and drink up! Not only will this help keep you energized, but it will promote getting up to use the restroom more often ;)
4. Pack your lunch. Take a few extra minutes on the weekend to prep fresh vegetables/salad ingredients, or a hearty soup that can be easily packed for lunch in the office. Eating out daily is not only taxing on your wallet, but restaurant food is often heavier, leaving you to feel sluggish the remainder of the afternoon.
5. Make fitness a priority in your schedule. With a full-time “desk job”, plan to exercise before or after work — find classes at your gym that fit into your day, or schedule workout dates with a friend to keep you motivated to move.
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I work on the fifth floor, and every couple hours I walk down to the first floor and back up. I hate sitting!
Love this! I remember reading that Runner’s World article too — kind of scary, right? I set my phone alarm to go off every hour on the hour which reminds me to get up and stretch, stand up, or move around!
My fellow wellness gal, you’ve gotta get a sit-to-stand station!
Love all these tips! I have a desk job, too, and over the summer, I couldn’t stand the long periods of sitting anymore, so I asked my office to order a standing work station and they did. What a difference it has made! I actually find that I prefer standing over sitting most of the time.
I hate sitting almost as much as I hate that I’m getting used to it!! I was making a good effort getting up a lot and running during my lunch break, but this fall I’ve been slacking! I’m going to try to get back to it because I notice such a difference in how my body feels when I don’t.
Always take the stairs going down, and if it’s 5 flights or less, always take them up. My current work is only 2 stories, but when I worked at an 8 story hospital, I lost ~10# just by constantly walking and always taking the stairs. The little things do add up!
I absolutely hate that I have to sit all day and waste away. The thing I found that helps the most is definitely planning working out and making it a priority. I know I won’t have time if I don’t get up at 5am, especially during busy season, so it’s a must for me to get up and get moving!
My #1 tip is setting boundaries, that helps me stay stress free!
What kinds of boundaries (if you don’t mind me asking)?
Mainly just keeping work at work – no checking emails at night or on the weekends, not stressing about work outside of work, and using my free time to decompress.
I always try to get up as much as possible. Walk down the hall to ask someone a question, get up on my lunch break and go outside, etc. Sometimes it’s not possible to get up every hour though if you’re really busy or working on a deadline, so that kind of sucks.
As for healthy snacks, I try to only give myself healthy options, water (lots of it!), tea, fruits, and veggies. Lunches are hardly ever bought (too much money), so I always bring my dinner leftovers.
Definitely like to get in some sort of exercise when I get home; take Ryder for a walk or run, jog on the treadmill, do a little high intensity circuit in my room, whatever it takes!
Sitting for 8 hours is difficult and doesn’t feel good. I always know it’s bad when I walk outside after work and my eyes burn from the sun! Ahhh not good!
I definitely abide by number 3! I also try to have good posture at my desk while working. :)
These are all great tips! I have definitely spent more time sitting since I started blogging, so (like you said) it’s kind of ironic. I’ve got the healthy eating part down, but I need to remind myself to get up and walk around more. I love the tip to drink more water. Then you can kill two birds with one stone!
These tips are great! I work full-time, but mostly from home, so I’ll alternate between working sitting down in my office and standing up with my computer on my kitchen counter. I also usually take a break in the middle of the day if I can to take my dog for a nice long walk. The fresh air and movement always feels nice!
I love this! I work a desk job & I actually do every single one of your tips! :)
Great tips! The scary thing is research shows working out for an hour or two does not make up for all of the hours spent sitting.
Getting up every time you want to ask a colleague something also helps. No more e-mailing/calling people just down the hall. All of the little movement adds up. Getting outside on lunch breaks – fresh air does wonders.
All great tips!!
I just started working a 9-5 desk bound job as well. It’s kinda brutal. One fun thing that I’ve started doing is challenging my other athletic coworkers to push-up and plank challenges. The competitive people are always game and keep me accountable :)
I work your normal 8 hour a day desk job. I try to walk around as much as possible instead of sending an e-mail or calling someone. I also work on special projects a lot so I’m moving around – those are my favorite days. I feel so gross, even if I run before work, when I’m just sitting all day, so I try to make it to yoga. This week has been a wash though since I’ve been so busy.
I work a desk job on M, W, Th in clinic and it is brutal! I didn’t realize how sedentary I was at work until I gained 5lbs in the first few months. Coming from my internship where I was in a huge hospital walking everywhere was a big change – all the little things do add up!