3 Easy Ways to Move More at Work

If your work-life is sedentary—whether you’ve been inactive for a while or you’re a FITness fanatic—consider making 2020 your year to MOVE MORE during your work day.

In consideration of recent research warning that “sitting is the new smoking,” the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives, is urging adults to move more and make it count where they spend most of their time—at work.(1)

Most adults spend the majority of their waking hours at work, and many find it difficult to squeeze in exercise during an over-scheduled work week. Daily exercise, including everyday movement, is vital to our health and well-being. There is benefit to any physical activity regardless of the length of the activity—for every fitness level. Here are simple ways to move more and sit less during the sedentary work day.

1. Stand Up—and take Regular Stretch Breaks

Don’t just stand there! Stand up and stretch those tight postural muscles. Our bodies will tell us what needs to be stretched—such as a chest stretch, a low back stretch and/or a leg stretch (hamstring stretch).

2. Step it Up--Trackers, Stairwells, and Walking Breaks

Tracking the number of daily steps can be an eye-opening experiment to motivate you to increase your daily movement.

Although research has yet to prove fitness trackers help people lose weight, it does show that people who wear tracking devices are motivated to move more. Creating the habit of moving purposefully throughout your day can help in the prevention of sedentary-related chronic illnesses. (2)

Those who take the stairs versus the elevator burn, on average, an extra 77 calories a day (based on 2 trips up and down a 5 story building). (3)

Not a fan of tracking steps? Simply taking a short walking break every hour is good to clear the head, add movement, and correct posture.

3. Muscle Up—Body Weight Moves and Resistance Bands

Squeeze in a full body strength sequence in small bouts throughout your day. Here’s an example using Super Sets of 3 rounds of 10 repetitions or 30 second holds.

1. Break 1: Squats* and Desk Plank
2. Break 2: Dead Lifts* and Desk Push-ups
3. Break 3: Shoulder Squeezes* and Calf Raises

*Use of a FIT2order band2FIT resistance band for these exercises will add intensity.

How do YOU get more movement in during the work day?

Sources: 

1. American Heart Association Website. How to sneak in healthy physical activity during a sedentary work day. Accessed December 27, 2019. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/01/04/how-to-sneak-in-healthy-physical-activity-during-a-sedentary-work-day  

2. Mayo Clinic Website. Do activity trackers help with weight loss? Accessed December 27, 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/activity-trackers-for-weight-loss/faq-20348545
3. StepJockey.com Health benefits of stair climbing. Accessed December 27, 2019. https://www.stepjockey.com/health-benefits-of-stair-climbing