Research has found that sitting for over three hours per day throughout your working career cuts two years off of your life expectancy. Here are 4 office tricks you can use to reduce the amount of time your spend sitting down!
Reduce the Time You Spend Sitting Down
We have already chatted a bit about starting your day off right, but you can also reduce your risk of sitting-related health issues. Here are 4 tricks to sit less while at the office:
Use a workstation with a walking treadmill.
Workstation treadmills are a new type of office furnishings many companies are buying for their employees. By sustaining the health of their employees companies decrease the amount spent on health care costs. Adapting an existing treadmill is easy! Companies found that by having ergonomically-friendly furnishings, their overall health costs went down.
Use a standing/sitting workstation
If your company cannot afford a walking treadmill, you may rework your sitting desk into a sitting/standing workstation. Usually all that is needed is an elevated platform to get an external monitor up to eye-level and another shorter platform to get an external keyboard at a height. This allows you to comfortably type while standing when your forearms are parallel to the floor.
Use a small cup or glass
By using a smaller-than-normal cup or glass, you’ll be more inclined to get up and refill it more often. And the more you drink, the more you’ll l have to get up and go to the bathroom. Doubled effect of reducing sitting time!
Walk instead of email
If the colleague you are going to send an email to is located in your building, get up and hand deliver your message instead of emailing it. You probably need to get something to drink or go to the bathroom anyway.
Other ways to get you moving during the workday
While these tips below won’t reduce the amount of time you sit during the day, they will add exercise to your day and help offset the effects of sitting:
1. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk in the rest of the way.
2. If you take public transportation, get off a stop or two before your regular stop and walk the rest of the way.
3. Once inside your building, take the stairs for a few flights up before getting on the elevator.
4. Take a 15-minute walk after lunch instead of sitting down and going back to work.
Use these tips to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down at work!
Do you travel for work? Stay fit while you travel too!
I used to sit nonstop for eight straight hours until I heard the admonishment sitting is the new smoking 🙂
Now I’ve shifted to using voice dictation as much as possible for emails – – and then editing 🙂 – – because I can walk and talk and squeeze in some movement that way.
Great idea Carla!