A new study on how Americans work shows that We have become less active as we switch to desk jobslead to obesity and other health problems. The study found that 80% of jobs were classified as sedentary, compared to 50% in 1960. At the heart of the problem is a 120 to 140 calorie reduction in calorie burn. Combined with plenty of snacks and larger portion sizes, this decline has become a major problem.
Being tied to a desk rather than standing all day is definitely a health issue, but adding movement to your workday isn’t hard to do with items you already have. Even better, it’s relatively easy to burn an additional 140 calories during a workday if you implement a few of these changes.
Flickr – Matthew Wilkinson
Ten Ways to Stay Active While Working
– We have been fans of the standing desk for a long time. You can burn an average of 200 to 400 calories, depending on your weight, by standing while working. Even if you’re standing halfway through the day, you’ll burn those extra calories and enjoy the other benefits of an ergonomic setup. check out our Standing Desk Guide For even more reasons to switch, you can buy do-it-yourself standing desks and sit-down standing desks for as little as $399.
Flickr – verified
– Distribute everything in your office rather than cluttering it in one space, within arm’s reach. This will encourage movement throughout the day and also help create a more open office layout so you have room for our other suggestions.
– Numerous studies have shown that wear comfortable clothes and shoes to work move more. It’s easier to be more active without a stuffy suit or uncomfortable shoes. Do not believe the empirical evidence, try it yourself and you will see the benefits immediately.
– Set aside a certain amount of time to act. Set an alarm on your mobile phone or use a similar application. to nag For Mac to tell you to stop working and start moving. Take a walk around the building or go up and down the stairs – anything, anything to get you moving.
Flickr – Enes
– Instead of calling or emailing your co-workers, stop and talk to them face-to-face. In addition to getting you to act more, it can also help prevent miscommunication via email.
– In addition to getting up and walking more, take time to stretch or do exercises in your new open office setup. you can see the collection office exercises and the 15-minute office workout video above.
Flickr – in case
– Not everyone lives close enough to cycle to work or walk all the way, and if you work from home, walking is barely enough to enroll, but you can find ways to get you to walk halfway to work. The easiest way is to find the furthest parking spot or parking lot and walk from there. This could be at the property or at a nearby business.
– If you see an improvement in the number of steps taken and the number of calories burned, it will be easier to stay motivated. Download if you have a smartphone runner and use it when you take short walks to see how they stack up. If you want to go further, try $99 fitbit It shows you with an easy-to-see flower that tracks your steps, calories burned and how active you are.
– Exercise ball chairs are a common tool to promote better posture and burns 6% more calories an hour from sitting in a standard desk chair.
Flickr – ilamont.com
– Read, respond and prioritize email and social networks can take up 30% of your time online. You probably have an email-capable smartphone or tablet, so try using it standing up to reply to your emails. This will burn a few more calories and help you keep it short and sweet. If you have access to a track, walk while you check your email to burn more calories. If you don’t like driving around in traffic, don’t do it on the sidewalk.
Making These Actions Habit
We know it’s not easy to change your routine and everyone can practice all these activities, but with a little help you will be able to do 2 or 3 of these activities.
To get started, add any action-based item to your calendar as a reminder or set your alarms to let walking work. The more you can automate the better!
For desk and chair products, tell your employer that your better overall health and productivity will benefit them. JustStand.org and Ergotron have a collection of tools to help you make the case
