8 Ways To Be Active At Work

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””]

Physical activity versus exercise, this is what we are talking about. Physical activity is your general, everyday movement (putting dishes away, carrying a backpack). Whereas exercise is purposeful movement for health benefits (lifing weights, sprinting).

Physical activity and exercise are different, and should be treated as such. Research teaches us that you cannot have all the health benefits without other. When it comes to how much we move each day, we need to give separate efforts in both areas of physical activity and exercise.

Strategy 1: Assess Your Current Work Environment

1. Your Office – How big is it? Do you work at home, in a high-rise? Here, we refer to the physical location of your office. Your total work space my range from a 200-square-foot office to a very large, corporate office park. The work environment (or office) may be indicative of the likelihood of physical activity. The question is: “How much physical effort do you give to go to work?”

   

   It may be convenient for couch warriors (working on the couch at home) to clock-in right after breakfast, but how good can it be? At least, those that commute have to walk to their cars, go inside a building and open a few doors…sorry, not trying to pick on you home workers, but these things are important to point out.

2. Your Work Station – Where the magic happens. This is where you spend most of your day working. The place where the red, Swingline stapler and collection of The Walking Dead bobbleheads go…How does your desk look? The biggest issue here is whether or not your work station forces you to sit. Sitting is associated with a whole host of problems from low back pain to increased risk of various cancers. Do you use a chair, a stool? Do you sit down all day? Do you stand and work? Great!
3. Your Work Setup – How is your desk arranged? Do you have the entire supply room within arms reach? Is your printer right next to you? By having less stuff within arms reach, forces you to move around more and use those strong legs of yours. The work setup is probably a place of contention.

   

   Ergonomists recommend items being placed in different “reach zones” so that you place less strain on the body. The idea being: keep frequently used items (pens) closer, and less used items (company policy book) in non-working areas. This may debunk the idea, but an opportunity to break the sitting cycle presents itself when needed items are not within reach (one may even say that you have a motivation to move).

BehaviorFit QuickTip #1: Health experts recommend reducing sitting by 2 hours each day and work up to 4. An easy way to do this is while at work! So, transition from a sitting workstation to a standing workstation and pay attention to how you are working each day

Strategy 2: Build Movement Into Your Schedule

The day moves fast with so many meetings, reports, and team-building activities. On a day-to-day basis, your schedule may be filled will assignments that are out of your control. But, harness the flexibility you do have. Have a meeting in 45 minutes? Is it possible to complete your current task someplace else? Maybe you can print out a report or use your iPad, to review meeting minutes before the next meeting starts.

Walk for two minutes to another part of your office, sit and read for 30 minutes, and walk back (better yet, walk and read the entire time!). Sometimes we get in the routine of chaining ourselves to our desks when there are many options available to us.

By changing locations, you create two activity breaks around one work task (the meeting). Of course, don’t walk so far away that you can’t make it back to the meeting without getting sweaty. Sometimes you may be “trapped” in one meeting, or a room for a few hours. When that is the case, target even more physical activity outside of those times.

BehaviorFit QuickTip # 2: Add movement once in your morning and once in your afternoon. Start there, and look for other opportunities as they arise.

Strategy 3: Space Out Your Physical Activity

Closely related to strategy 2 above: if you have multiple tasks that require physical movement, then space them out. Research shows us that breaking up periods of inactivity is beneficial, whether it be sitting at work or on the couch (previously discussed here). In addition, health experts recommend that we should not stare at computer screens for more than 20 minutes anyhow. Dan Lieberman, in his book The Story of the Human Body convinces us that myopia (nearsightedness) is a result of our modern work environment. Staring at fixed distances ruins our eyesight.

Our eyes work better (eye muscles stay in shape) when objects require us to focus at different lengths (looking at screens versus the exit sign at the end of a hallway). So, by spreading out physically demanding activities, we give our eyes a break, and get a dose of much needed physical activity. For example, if during your work day (provided none of these tasks are too time sensitive) you need to visit Jan in HR two floors away, run to your car to get your lunch, and fax a memo, then spread them out in between bursts of computer work.

BehaviorFit QuickTip #3: Incoporate physical activity breaks when there is a natural pause or disruption in your workflow. Finished writing that long email? Or troubleshooting a spreadsheet? Step away from your desk, walk around for a minute or two, and get back to it. These opportunities may fly by if you get distracted by opening a new file or moving a window on your computer desktop. Sometimes you might find that your day is severely lacking in any type of physically activity and only contains computer work. We have those days. Then, it is even more important to use your breaks to be purposefully active. Stretch. Walk. Get fresh air.

Strategy 4: Go Against the Grain

Changing culture. A tough task, but change will come when individuals take a stand (pun intended) for health improvement. Small behaviors that lead to large results. We have to slowly change culture by doing things differently, and for the betterment of our health.

Much of our culture is built around sitting (conference rooms, eating dinner at a table, the royal throne). An extra effort requires us to do things differently. Can you complete the same work, but in a different position? Or even standing? Can you stand in conference room or take all phone calls while standing?

We have all been there. Enter the conference room and sit in the cosy, leather and cushion-filled board room chair. Bad for our backs, health, and an immediate stopper to physical activity. The conference room is an example of modern culture that permeates our daily activity and we don’t give it much thought. That is, until we learn more about the harms of sedentary activity.

So, stand at the back of the room, take the open space along the wall (I doubt anyone is using it). You will have more room anyhow. Sometimes seat backs on the chairs are thick enough so that they can be used one as a laptop stand. Be careful not to type too high…you touch one function key and goodbye laptop!

BehaviorFit QuickTip #4: When a sitting opportunity presents itself, entering a room full of chairs or benches, ask yourself, do I really have to sit down right now? More often than not the answer is “no.” Sure, you will have to ward off a few odd stares and questions, but have the others join you! I once received feedback that somebody thought I had an injury because I stood in class so much. These things will happen as we change our culture.

To review, here are the strategies to be more active throughout your day:

1. Assess Your Current Work Environment
2. Build Movement Into Your Schedule
3. Space Out Your Physical Activity
4. Go Against the Grain

Some may call these “hacks”, I call them necessities for a healthy day. Please use these strategies, share with friends, and let me know what you think. If you think to yourself “I am sure I have been active enough today,” you are probably underestimating what you are capable of. Afterall, our ancestors walked 5-9 miles every day! How close are you to regularly using your body as you should be?

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]