How to Stay Active at Work

When work makes us sit for 10-12 hours a day, it feels like we’ll never be able to get in shape. But with these tips, you’ll be moving more without having to stay at work later.

Staying active when working long hours.

For most of us, the last thing we want to do after working 10 hours is exercise. And I get it. Even if your work isn’t physically demanding, the mental and emotional demands are exhausting. And if you’re an introvert like me, you know that a lot of energy is used each day extroverting.

I recently switched to working out in the mornings. It was really painful at first. For the first month at least, it was a fight. I’d ask myself WTF am I doing this. I wasn’t super jazzed to be getting up at 5am to workout 4 times a week. So if getting up early to workout isn’t an option because you already have to get up early to be to work on time, then this one is for you.

Tips to stay active at work

#1 take your 15 minute breaks. Or at least one of them. I know this might sound impossible or even taboo, but there are many benefits to it for your productivity. Walk around for 10 minutes or go up and down the stairs a few times. At a brisk pace, you can definitely get your heart rate up.

#2 walk instead of driving to lunch. If your favorite lunch spot is only a couple blocks away, walk over. Yes it’ll cut into your eating time, but you’ll be getting some extra movement in the process and not have to worry about parking.

#3 start a friendly challenge with your coworkers. Maybe it’s a certain amount of squats per day or even a step challenge. Sometimes all we need is a little friendly competition to get moving more.

#4 use the bathroom and grab water on a different floor than where you work. Take the stairs to get there. Make it a game of how many times you took the stairs in a day.

Photo by Damian Zaleski on Unsplash

Some other ideas you’ve probably heard. Park further away from the building, take public transportation to work, or go talk to your coworkers instead of calling.

What’s one thing you do or will do to stay active at work? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

-Atim