The easy way to feel better when you are working

Do you work eight hours or more each day sitting at a desk? Unfortunately, working out in your spare time isn’t enough to combat the negative impact on your health - even if you train like a marathon runner. Anyone who sits still for too many hours each day is likely to be affected by some of the problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle, such as musculoskeletal problems, obesity and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, even if they do regular exercise. Fortunately, there's a simple solution: to be more active while you're working.

At AJ Products we focus on ways to solve the problem of a sedentary workday. One way is through our innovative and ever-growing range of active furniture: sit-stand desks, standing meeting tables, active sitting chairs, balance boards and more. The other way is by raising public awareness through our blog, campaigns and membership of ukactive, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote active lifestyles.

"Feel better at work" is our latest campaign designed to show how easy it is to be more active in your everyday life. We are working in collaboration with Swedish influencer and marathon runner Petra Månström. Petra is a renowned blogger with a focus on running, health and wellbeing who is well versed in the problem of sitting at work because, even though she trains more than most, her working days also consist of longs hours in front of the computer.

Simple solutions to a difficult problem

Even though Petra exercises a lot, her frequent training sessions are not enough to compensate for the hours spent sedentary while working. That’s because the body needs to stay active throughout the day. Fortunately, that’s not as difficult as it may sound.

With a sit-stand desk you can strengthen your muscles and burn calories by alternating between sitting and standing during the workday. The addition of a saddle chair or balance stool encourages active sitting to keep your body moving even when sitting down. It means you don’t sit still but, instead, are forced to use your muscles to keep yourself balanced, which strengthens core muscles, boosts your circulation and improves your posture – all without you noticing how much exercise you’re doing.

Even without the benefit of active office furniture, there are things you can do to make your workday healthier. Take regular breaks to stand up and stretch, use the printer furthest from your desk, walk over to talk to a colleague instead of emailing, hold standing or walking meetings; everything will help. These small changes can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing. Your body will thank you for it.