Be active, feel good and treat yourself

Stand up for yourself

Sit-stand desks are ideal for people who work in an office. If you usually sit down all day, raising the desk and standing up for a while can make a big difference.

Standing up can help alleviate back pain. When you sit down you put a lot of pressure on your back, so, naturally, when you stand up that pressure is reduced. Your shoulders are automatically drawn back as well, which gives you a better posture. Standing up for a while is also good for the knees since they get stiff from being in the same position. The best cure for this is movement. While you work standing up you can perform simple exercises where you bend your knees and other joints.

Research from the University of Chester shows that people who stand up burn on average 50 calories more per hour than people who sit down. If you stand up for three hours every workday, that makes 750 calories in a week – and a total of 30,000 in a year. That is roughly equal to the calories burned over 10 marathons and potentially equates to a weight loss of 8 lbs. So, you can justify that chocolate bar after a bad day at work without being too hard on yourself!

Personal trainer and nutrition coach PO Osbeck explains, “It’s not always about the big choices. Often it’s about focusing on the little choices we make over time that will yield the greatest results. Walking to the photocopier, standing at your desk, drinking lots of water and taking regular breaks all increase energy levels and oxygenate the muscles and brain.”

Go a bit further

The best of both worlds is to switch between different activities during the workday. Use a desk treadmill or a desk bike if you want to move around more than just switching from a sitting to standing position.

Experts say that we should walk at least 10,000 steps every day, which is equal to approximately 7 kilometres. Does that sound impossible to achieve because you work in an office eight hours a day? Then there’s another option: An hour and a half on a bike is equal to about 10,000 steps! You can burn around 200-250 calories by cycling at a moderate pace (12-14 mph) on a staintionary bike for just 30 minutes (depending on your weight).

Don't sit still for too long

Sitting for hours at a time increases the risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and even cancer. But breaking up your day with light activity can have a huge positive impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. By regularly moving your body, you increase oxygenation, which in turn helps clean the bloodstream of fats and sugars, leading to better weight control.

Some muscles become overactive when we sit for too long, particularly in the shoulders, hips and thighs. This can lead to lower back pain and stiffness. “Stretching the chest and back, doing squats, hip lifts or lunges are great ways to remedy this,” says PO Osbeck. He also recommends avoiding any single posture for too long: “Choose a sitting position where your knees are slightly below your hips, relax your shoulders and lower your shoulder blades.”

If your job involves heavy lifting rather than sitting, it’s still important to move mindfully. “Warming up before any physically demanding activity is a great idea. It will help to ensure the hips, back and shoulders are ready to cope with any lifting and handling. Back injuries often occur when we lift something heavy in front of the body whilst turning to the side. Being in the right position is crucial,” PO adds.

Walk for your health

Unlike cycling, walking is a weight-bearing activity that strengthens bones, tendons and ligaments. Physical activity reduces the stress hormone, cortisol, and releases beneficial natural chemicals into the bloodstream. That’s why taking a walk will make you happy. Plus, it helps new brain cells to develop and enhances the brain’s ability to communicate. Your immune system also gets a boost.

You can burn a lot by simply walking slowly on a desk treadmill for an hour or so at any time during the workday. Walking burns around 200-300 calories an hour at a leisurely pace of 3 mph (depending on your weight) – more if you walk faster.

A win for employers too

It’s not just employees who benefit from staying active - businesses do too. Investing in staff wellbeing can lead to fewer sick days, improved morale and greater productivity. When employees feel better at work, they perform better.

Providing height-adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs tailored to each individual, and anti-fatigue mats are simple steps that can make a big difference. There are also ergonomic saddle chairs that improve mobility and posture.

“Companies get a lot back from investing in their employees and their employees’ health,” says PO Osbeck.

Give yourself a reward

Don’t be afraid to reward yourself when you’ve been particularly active. Don’t feel guilty if you want to treat yourself if you have stood or walked at your desk every day that week. Have that extra biscuit during your coffee break, buy something you’ve been wanting for a while or allow yourself a lie in on the weekend. It’s all about balance.

In order not to let the rewarding system get out of hand, you shouldn’t treat yourself after every little achievement but set up short- and long-term goals. It could be a target to achieve by the end of the year with specific goals for each week or something less time dependant. Work out once a week: treat yourself to a biscuit with your afternoon coffee. Work out three times a week: let yourself buy that chocolate you’ve been craving. Keep up the workout for three weeks in a row: go see a movie and buy a large popcorn!

What’s important is that you feel good and live a long, healthy life. How you do that is up to you!

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