Get Fit at Work - Exercises for the Workplace


More than 40% of women and 35% of men spend more than six hours a day sitting down, studies show that excessive sitting is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and even early deaths. Experts recommend that we should take an active break from sitting every 30 minutes to help combat the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles. 

It can be hard to reach the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week, especially if your role involves you sitting at a computer all day, but there are some easy ways to add physical exercise into your everyday routine. 

Here are 8 ways you can incorporate more exercise into your day:

1) Talk more. Speak to your colleagues rather than sending an email, by walking to another room you will be on the move and it will help establish better relationships with your colleagues.

2) Exercise while you are at the printer. Perhaps do some squats, calf raises or marching whilst you wait for your printing. You won’t look silly if everyone else is doing it, we promise! Here are some great office exercises from Kent Sport which you can incorporate into your daily routine. 

3) Take a walk. If you get a chance at lunchtime take a short walk in the fresh air, if you are on playground duty a couple of laps of the playground will suffice! Even a short walk will help you to improve your activity levels. 

4) Try standing meetings. Standing meetings will help make meetings shorter as no one wants to be standing up for ages! During long meetings, try standing when you are speaking to get your metabolism back in action. 

5) Give walking meetings a go. Walking meetings are a great way to catch up in small groups and will give you some time in the fresh air. If no confidential information needs to be discussed, then this is a great option to get you moving more.  

6) Take the stairs. Try taking them two at a time as it is estimated to burn 10% more calories. You can also step up and down the stairs for a few minutes to increase your activity levels. 

7) Exercise at your desk. If you can’t leave your computer, then try leg lifts at your desk. Sit on the edge of your chair with your arms by your side and extend one leg out in front of you, once your leg is extended flex your foot, so your leg is parallel to your hips. This exercise will stretch your legs and give them more tone.

8) Exercise in the car! Get moving in the car on the way home by rolling and lifting your shoulders (while stationary of course), this will help you relieve tension in your shoulders. You can even try some glute squeezes when you’re at the traffic lights, just try to remember to keep a straight face!

Incorporating some small activities into your daily routine can drastically increase your activity levels and overall health. There are some great tools and tips to help you get more exercise and more active on the Kent Sport website.

In case you need any more motivation to up your activity levels, read these 16 surprising benefits of playing sports

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