How To Stay Fit At A Desk Job & Improve Your Wellbeing At Work
Being deskbound for much of the day may be productive for your company but counterproductive for you. So how to stay fit at a desk job is a key consideration. There are simple steps and protocols you can follow to improve your circulation, fitness and mindset. Here are some tips how.
Dexercise
Yes! ‘desk exercise’. Moving feet and toes in circles stimulates circulation and shuffling your butt in your seat is good. Do straight leg raises under the desk. Wrist twists, neck tilts and shoulder shrugs back and forward all move muscles that want to be moved. Better still, get up and walk around every 30 minutes; don’t be shy to reach hands to the sky. If there are stairs nearby use them, up and down two floors.
Posture positive
We all slump at our desks and crane our necks to look at computer screens; this puts strain on the spine. To counter this, sit up straight, tuck in your chin and push your lower back forward. Sit tall, like riding a horse!
Image courtesy of Wikipedia – Creative Commons Licence
The key to keyboards
To aid good posture, make sure your keyboard is about 2 inches lower than your elbows. This maintains a neutral wrist angle and counters typing fatigue. Bring the keys closer to help avoid leaning forward.
Hydration regulation
The NHS recommends we drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, or approximately 2 litres per day. Vigorous exercising needs more. As the body is comprised 60-70% water, this is hardly surprising. Tea and coffee can form part of this intake, but more water is essential, especially after a salty food. Fruit chunks in water and electrolyte drinks are good.
Lunchtime, crunch time
Build 10 minutes in your lunch break for your body. Squat on your knees a few times, then reach high with arms and twirl circles in the air. To stretch calve muscles, put the sole of one foot against a wall with the heel on the ground and push. Next lean forward with hands against a wall, front leg bent and stretch out the back leg. Hold 10 seconds. Can you touch your toes? Stand with legs shoulder width apart and slowly lean forward from the waist with back straight, focusing on inhaling and exhaling as you do.
Don’t take the office lift up! (or get out 2 floors lower if in a skyscraper!)
Be in charge of your wellbeing in the office and make your workplace work for you. That’s the key to how to stay fit at a desk job. If you follow these protocols each day, you will soon feel a marked difference from head to toe.
