15 ways to stay fit when you sit all day
For those of us who sit all day, finding time to add fitness into your lifestyle may seem daunting.
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Sitting down all day long is one of the worst things for your health, as it increases the likelihood of heart disease and weight gain among other things. We sit down at the office, then we sit in the car and once we’re home, we sit to eat and watch TV.
So, what can you do? It’s the small changes made consistently every day over a period of time that will make a difference.
15 ways to stay healthy and fit when you sit at a desk all day
Eat breakfast
Skipping breakfast is a no-no. A study in the Nutrients journal showed that skipping breakfast increases your desire for fatty foods during lunchtime. If you’re always in a rush, keep a box of cereal or instant oatmeal at your desk so you can eat while you work.
Take hourly breaks
Every hour, get up from your resk and go for a quick walk anywhere. Walk to the copy machine, bathroom, water cooler…anywhere. Just get up and move for a few minutes.
Stretch or move in place
Don’t have anywhere to go? Stand up and bend in half to reach for the ground. March in place for a few minutes or even a few jumping jacks.
Hold a walking meeting
Do you have a meeting coming up? Do it on a walk.
Take the stairs
Unless you work at the top of a tall office building, take the stairs. Try to ditch elevators and escalators.
Walk at lunch
Have an hour for lunch? Use half of it to eat and the other half to walk. Ask a few colleagues to join you and have your own built in accountability partners.
Count steps
Use an activity tracker or some other sports watch to help calculate your daily steps every day.
Ditch the car
When possible, walk, bike or run to work. If you live too far away, try parking a distance from your destination and walking part of the way. Or getting off the train or bus a few stops earlier and walk the rest.
Do something active before you get home
Stop at the gym, pool or track on the way home from work. It’s easier to do it before you get home and settled for the night.
Wake up earlier
Set your alarm clock a little earlier and work more of your fitness in before you get your day started.
Schedule it on your calendar
Studies show that scheduling your fitness into your calendar makes it more likely that you’ll stick to it than canceling.
Walk when you talk
Most of us talk on our mobile phones, make it a practice to get up from your seat and go for a walk when you’re on your phone.
Drink more water
Buy yourself a reusable water bottle to keep at your desk. Drinking water will help keep you fuller and less likely to snack on empty calories.
Say no thank you
Say no thank you to all the treats that gets brought in and dumped on a table: cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, etc. If you’re really hungry, reach for some fresh fruit or vegetables you packed for a snack.
Go to the gym at lunch
If you have the time, use your lunch break to go to the gym. You don’t need hours there. Try a lunchtime fitness class or something you might enjoy.
It’s easy to sit at your desk all day. You get wrapped up in what you’re doing. Sitting all day long is a fact of life for most of us, which takes a toll on the body. By incorporating some of these ideas into your workday, you will notice some changes and improving your overall health.
How do you incorporate fitness into your day?
