If your job requires you to move about and sometimes do physical labor, you may get tired, but it’s nothing like the exhaustion you feel when you have a desk job. People who work in an office or at the computer all day feel the same type of stress as those who move physically, but they don’t have the increased circulation, bodily movements, and opportunity to shake off stress. Staying healthy isn’t as easy. Activities, like walking, are limited. That stress-busting brisk walking or movement that boosts energy and the exhaustion at the end of the day often isn’t solved by a short nap.
You’ve got many options that can boost your health.
It’s hard to build the energy to exercise when you’re mentally exhausted. You can prevent that by taking exercise breaks throughout the day. During a morning break, do a five to ten-minute routine. Jumping jacks, windmills, stretches, walking lunges, squats, and desk push-ups can be done in your cubicle or office. If you don’t have a private area, run up and down the stairs several times to get your heart pounding faster.
Are there too many treats in the coffee room?
If your office is social and everyone brings treats, it’s hard not to eat them. Those donuts Amy brought on Monday, Bill’s birthday cake on Tuesday, and Janet’s continuously full candy dish can take their toll on your waistline. You can dodge the bullet and bring healthy snacks to work. Everyone would appreciate a fruit salad or veggies and dip just as much as sweet rolls. Bringing options like an apple, an individual-sized bag of nuts, or a healthy popcorn can keep you healthier.
Boost your energy before you go to work and equal time afterward.
Ideally, you should schedule time at the gym at the same time every day. It can be early in the morning before work, at lunch hour, or the end of the day. It should be any time you can do it consistently, so it becomes a habit. Another option is to break your workout into smaller sessions throughout the day. You can do 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at lunch, and another 15 or more at the end of the day. It all adds up.
- Walk more. Walk to lunch. If you set meetings, do a walking meeting so everyone. Take the stairs as far as possible and use the elevator for the rest.
- Make snacks like energy balls. Put Medjool dates, nuts or seeds, and a bit of vanilla and sea salt in a food processor. Roll into balls and refrigerate.
- Once each hour, get up from your desk and move about. Sitting longer than an hour can take its toll on your body. Find creative ways to move more, such as taking the stairs to use the bathroom on another floor.
- Learn the four-minute nitric oxide dump. It combines squats, military press, jumping jacks without the jump, and tin soldiers. Do three sets of ten repetitions at various times of the day to lower your blood pressure.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness