If you sit at a desk all day with little to no movement, you could be jeopardizing your physical, emotional, and cognitive health, which may affect your job efficiency. It is not healthy to stay in one position for an extended period. It can result in various health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Experts advise that they get up and walk at their desks every hour.
Inactivity can also have an impact on healthy brain function. If you sit at work for lengthy periods without having to move, your brain may suffer. The lack of physical activity may cause it to enter a slumbering state, resulting in lower brain processing speed and short-term memory lapses.
It can also affect a person's capacity to learn and acquire new knowledge. This is why it is critical to foster an organizational culture that values mobility as part of the workday.
Individual and team-based exercise is becoming more common as a typical working day in an increasing number of organizations. Better ergonomics, improved efficiency, and overall changes in workplace culture are only a few of the advantages that are being seen. A fit and safe workforce are one of the most important assets a business can have. This is why employers must take a more significant initiative to boost exercise, especially team-based activity, during the workday.
Health Benefits
The first and most noticeable advantage of regular activity is that it aids in the maintenance of a healthy weight. With obesity now a significant health issue in most developing countries, this is more crucial than ever. Some of the severe illnesses that 30 minutes of moderate exercises a day will shield against are as follows:
● Stroke
● Heart disease
● High blood pressure
● Diabetes
● Various types of cancer
Living a healthy lifestyle and having adequate cardiovascular exercise are critical in assisting the body's defense against these health complications. There are so many advantages of standing, such as improved posture, better metabolism, and better health.
Exercise can help with psychological problems because it causes our bodies to produce endorphins, also known as happy hormones. This can alleviate stress and anxiety, allowing us to feel more optimistic, energized, and capable of coping with stressful situations. This has the potential to boost employees' mental well-being significantly.
Sitting too much
The optimal sitting-to-standing ratio is 1:1 or 1:3. This can be calculated as sitting for 30 minutes and then standing for 30 minutes, or sitting for 30 minutes and then standing for 90 minutes.
Recommended activity levels
This equates to at least 75 minutes of intense exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week for adults. Find something you love doing so that you can continue to do it. For example, if you enjoy boxing, join a boxing gym and visit several times per week. If you dislike using a treadmill, you will frequently be checking how much time is left in your session, and you will be less inclined to keep with it. However, if you like boxing, you'll look forward to your sessions. If you're competitive, you might want to play more to improve your performance. Exercising would become less of a burden and more of a hobby.
Business Benefits
Healthier workers are less likely to miss work due to illness, lowering the cost of absenteeism for your business. They are also more intrinsically motivated and efficient at work, play an active interest in developing an effective workplace atmosphere, engage and cooperate with co-workers, and be less interested in conflict in the workplace.
From the company's perspective, offering opportunities for your employees to engage in exercise helps with staff retention by demonstrating that you care about their well-being make them feel valuable. This promotes greater loyalty. Such expressions of concern for an employee's health and well-being will also help you gain top talent when recruiting. Team-building exercises, in particular, are essential for establishing familiarity and mutual interest among teammates. This directly translates into improved cooperation and a more unified organizational culture.
What you can you do
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Establish the habit of taking the stairs rather than the elevator in your apartment or office building. You'll be able to integrate more active movements into your day this way. Swing your arms and stretch your legs as you walk up the stairs to ease up your joints and feel significantly better.
Bike, run, or walk to almost anywhere.
You should cycle or walk to work if possible but making the switch from driving to biking to work may be a massive change in lifestyle (and finances) at first, but it is one of the most beneficial decisions you can make for your health and well-being.
If you have errands or tasks to do throughout the day, skip the car and walk or run to complete them. You may need to get food, coffee, or go to the bank, but if any of these places are within walking distance or your vicinity, you may avoid driving and either run or use a fitness desk bike at home or the office.
Forget DM-ing your colleague and walk over to their desk.
Avoid sending an email or private message to a coworker in your building when possible and necessary. Instead, walk over to their office and have a face-to-face interaction.
Walk and talk.
Walking instead of sitting while on the phone would make you move more. You're multitasking, bringing more movement in, and making phone calls this way.
Instead of walking, an under desk bike is a healthy way to integrate exercise into your day. This serves like an under-the-desk elliptical machine to get you moving and working out even when you're at work.
Calf raises.
Calf raises are essentially just raising the heels. It is a simple movement that can be performed anywhere, at any time. Calf raises can be done every day while on the phone, at your standing desk, or even while sitting by simply raising your legs. This is also a great way to integrate activity into your day at work and in general.
Go outside.
Make a little time daily, weather suitable, to get outside, enjoy some fresh air, and move your body, whether you're going out to lunch or taking a stroll around the building. Not only will you feel re-focused and re-energized for the remainder of your work shift, but your body will thank you for the physical activity.
Increase water intake.
It is advised that you drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water a day, or 1 – 2 liters. This is required for the proper hydration and for our bodies to work properly. It will surprise you to learn that drinking more water will help you move more. When you drink more water, you will need to expel it. Proceed to a more distant toilet. If necessary, take the stairs to a restroom on a floor above or below you. Don't substitute sugary or high-calorie beverages for water.
Park far.
You may have a routine of parking as right at the entrance as possible. Parking further away is preferable if you do not have any physical disabilities that make walking challenging. If you're taking public transit to work, school, or anywhere you're going, get off a stop further.
Skip going through a drive-thru.
I think this is pretty clear. One of the most challenging times to add movement is when you drive. Park a little further as usual and walk yourself inside the restaurant to order and pick your food up—another simple opportunity to walk.
Walk after lunch.
When some people develop this habit, they notice that their digestion improves and they feel better. It can also be an excellent way to spend extra time with your co-workers. Walking will also help your back if you have back problems.
Make the most of the company gym.
Many businesses and schools also have on-site fitness centers that provide free or discounted membership to workers. Health and exercise programs are often incorporated into or incentivized in the employee benefits package. This is a significant benefit at your job, so reap the benefits of any workout opportunities available to you, even if it means arriving an hour early or staying a little later to use the amenities. It is much more practical and time-saving to use the gym at your workplace rather than travel to one off-site.
Standing desks.
Standing desks, aka sit-stand desks or height-adjustable desks, may be the most significant and fantastic breakthrough created to incorporate exercise into your day. One of the chief reasons people live sedentary lifestyles is that they work 9-6 jobs. Working a desk job leaves no space for movement, even during lunch hour, since you are forced to sit at your desk and work. Integrating a sit-stand desk is the perfect way to get started. In reality, there is a wide range of sit-stand desks and desk risers available. These are intended to help you integrate movement into your workday by standing as you work.
FlexiSpot creates ergonomic solutions that allow people to live healthier and more efficient lives. They have so many to choose from to fit your preferences. Click and see what they're like!:
● Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series
● Seiffen Laminated Standing Desk
● Comhar All-in-One Standing Desk Wooden Top
If you use a standing desk, here are some suggestions to increase your mobility:
● All through the day, alternate between sitting and standing to stand for half of your workday progressively. Set a reminder on your computer or phone to prompt you to step about. This could be switching from sitting to standing at your desk, taking a water break, stretching, and so on.
● Standing on a shiatsu pad or anti-fatigue mat, as well as a golf or tennis ball, can positively impact nerves and ease sore muscles in your feet.
● Continue to swap positions. Stretch your leg on a chair or an inverted garbage can, squat, do yoga, or dance; any activity is beneficial.
Excessive sitting is associated with adverse health consequences and even elevated mortality rates, according to studies. Learn simple ways to integrate mobility and exercise into your weekdays and reap essential health benefits without having to spend hours at the gym daily. The significance of walking during the day cannot be overstated. The advantages of standing over sitting far outweigh the drawbacks. Maintaining daily exercise gives you more energy and improved health in general.
