Whether you’ve completely embraced the ‘work from home’ culture or have returned to your office space, one thing that hasn’t changed is the long hours spent glued to your desk. Don’t you agree?

Working a desk job can take its toll on your health unless you balance it out with some form of physical activity. A report by World Health Organization (WHO) prescribes a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity per week while also reducing the time spent being sedentary. Thanks to the Pandemic, more and more people have come to realize the effectiveness of simple lifestyle changes on overall health. 

So, if you’re looking for ways to stay healthy and reap the benefits of being active even at work, follow these five doable tips.

5 ways to stay active at work

1. Take Regular Breaks

Though your job demands continuous hours on your desk, taking a five-minute break to stretch and move around will help you relieve stress and aid in proper blood circulation. If you cannot leave your desk, you can try the Office Chair Yoga. 

Set a timer for these stretching breaks every 60 minutes, so you don’t miss out on them. And while you’re at it, set reminders to get plenty of water as well and stay hydrated.

2. Walk While You Talk

This is the easiest way to stay active. You can walk around your workspace while conversing with your colleague on the phone. Or better yet, walk up to your colleague instead of calling if you’re working in the same physical office. You can also set up one-on-one meetings in the form of walking instead of being confined to office chairs.

Motivate yourself to walk the minimum steps that you set. Take the assistance of a pedometer to track the number of steps per day, calories burnt, etcetera.

3. Say Yes to Stairs

Ditching the elevator for a couple of floors is a great way to stay active and boost your stamina. Moreover, it helps burn those extra calories and moves you closer to your fitness goals. 

It’s also good for your heart as it increases the levels of good cholesterol in your body. Another benefit of being active by taking stairs is a reduced risk of strokes and diabetes. So, make it a habit to choose stairs as much as you can.

4. Get Proactive with Activity

Although it would be nice to have a treadmill or a stationary cycle in your workspace, not all office spaces have a gym set up for their employees. To make room for exercise, you can come up with physical activities planned among your colleagues from time to time. You can even choose to walk together to get lunch.

If your commute is not long, you can choose to ride a bicycle to your work. Alternatively, try to pick public transport that will require you to walk a bit to your office building. 

Apart from hitting your step count, you will feel refreshed to get that few minutes to yourself before work, boosting your mental health.

5. Create an Activity-friendly Workspace

For an activity-friendly workspace, arrange your desk in a way that requires you to take a few steps to access the things you need. Some ideas include positioning your desk away from the bookshelf or the bundle of files you’ll want to refer to. 

The use of adjustable stands is also quite popular now, as many are opting to work while standing. Standing is better than sitting for hours together as it allows better blood flow while burning calories.

Sitting continuously for long durations (more than seven to eight hours a day) invites chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart problems and cancer, among many others. It also causes physical discomfort such as strain in your neck and affects your mental well-being.