Don’t Just Sit There: Keeping Healthy at a Desk Job

For years we’ve been told that sitting for long periods of time and living a sedentary lifestyle isn’t good for your health. Yet, at least 60 per cent of us do just that on a daily basis.

In this day and age, the majority of jobs are located in an office environment. And, unfortunately, an office environment usually means being confined to a cubical and a matching chair for eight hours a day, five or more days a week.

Even if you generally tend to eat well and exercise regularly, sitting at a desk can still impact your health in a number of negative ways – it can affect your posture, your eyesight and it can cause aches and pains, among other things.

However, there are a few things you can do to keep your body in tip-top condition as you work. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy at your desk job.

Drink Water: We all know that an office can be a tough environment to work in. You have to deal with uncomfortable chairs, a severe lack of fresh air and that awful fluorescent lighting that kills your eyes. It’s important to make sure that you’re keeping yourself properly hydrated throughout your day. Ideally you should be drinking one glass of water every hour and a half.

Health experts recommend setting an alarm to go off every hour and a half. When you’re alarm goes off, get up, have a stretch, toddle to the water cooler and get a drink. By getting up and moving, you’ll help to stop any muscle stiffness, your brain will wake up a bit, your eyes will get a five-minute break from staring at a computer screen and you’ll have a drink to keep your hydration levels up. Sorted.

Stand Up When You Can: At every available opportunity, spend at least ten minutes standing up and/or walking around. This will give your back/bum muscles a break and will help you shake off any stiffness or aches and pains that you’ve gained as a result of not moving.

Even if it means taking a toilet break every hour, make sure you get up and move at some point during your day. Your body will thank you for it.

A useful way to incorporate more standing into your daily working routine is to stand up every time you get a phone call. When your phone rings, stand up and move around a bit as you speak to the person on the other end of the line.

 

Stretch and move around as often as you can during your day.

Improve Your Posture: How do you sit when you’re at your desk? If you’re anything like us, chances are you lean forward and hunch your back slightly. Sitting wrong for eight hours a day can have a seriously damaging impact on your back. Ideally, your lower back should be well supported by your chair. If you don’t have the best office chair in the world, push your bum right back so you’re forced to sit up straight. Keep your shoulders relaxed and make sure you stretch your neck occasionally to stave off any aches.

Give Your Wrists a Rest: Working on a computer all day, means that your hands and wrists are usually held at an unnatural angle while you work. This can make you more susceptible to wrist and hand injuries. Give your hands a break every hour. Take a few seconds to rotate your wrists, flex your fingers and shake out your hands.

Reclaim Your Lunch Break: If possible, get out of the office and go for a quick walk during your lunch break. The fresh air will work wonders on your mood and reenergise you so you can tackle the last few hours of your shift with a brighter perspective and a clearer head. The movement will also help to loosen up your body and help you relax. If it’s a nice day, why not eat your lunch outside? Never underestimate the healing powers of a bit of fresh air.

Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to staying healthy in the office?