Use your office time to stay in good shape

The benefits of exercise to reduce stress and support the overall health of your body are well known. If you sit in an office at a desk all day, then you may feel compelled to exercise only outside of work hours by walking, running, or participating in a fitness program at a gym. While this is certainly useful, it remains pinned to your desktop for hours on end every day. Essentially, you have a sedentary lifestyle punctuated by intense bouts of exercise.

If you can add small portions of exercise to your day, throughout the day, the health benefits are multiplied. Keeping your muscles and heart working harder at various intervals throughout the day helps reduce stress and increases stamina. Some people have developed a set of specific exercise routines that you can do while sitting at your desk. That can work, but engaging in a distracting workout routine where you’re counting reps, breathing hard, and racking up sweat can attract unwanted attention from your bosses and coworkers.

You can make a few small adjustments to your work routine that will keep your body moving and add plenty of minutes of exercise to your daily life. Start with where you park your car at work. Do not choose the closest place you can find next to the building. Park your car at the far corner so you have to walk a hundred yards each way. If your office is on the lower level of a skyscraper, take the stairs when going up. At first, walking up three flights of stairs may take your breath away, but soon your muscles will strengthen and it will become much easier for you to climb.

If your office is on the twelfth floor, go up the first few floors and take the elevator from there. Of course, going down a few more flights of stairs is much easier. Since we’re talking about the stairs, every time you get up to use the bathroom, choose a bathroom two floors up or down from yours. Head upstairs to the bathroom and you’ll be more relaxed when you get there. You will also feel stronger when you return.

If you spend hours on the phone every day, try standing up while you talk. You’ll use more muscle and energy when you stand up than when you’re sitting down, and your voice will project better on the phone as your diaphragm relaxes. If you can make it work, replace your chair for as many hours as possible with a large inflatable exercise ball. Sitting on this ball while you work keeps the muscles in your legs, ankles and abdomen working for balance and forces you to maintain good posture.

If you take lunch or coffee breaks, add a ten-minute walk as part of the break. Better yet, use ten-minute walks as a quick stress-relieving tool and a way to talk about an important or pressing issue with another person. There’s no need to sit at your desk and feel your stress level rise as the topic comes up when you can keep your stress down while getting some exercise by walking and talking at the same time. Keep calm, be creative and keep moving for better health and optimal performance throughout the day.