Sitting has become the new smoking. It’s not good for you and in fact, too much is dangerous! 

The average office worker in the Western world is now sitting for over 7 hours per day and this has led to an increase in life-threatening conditions such as heart-disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Combined with an increase in remote working, our sedentary working lifestyle does not appear to be changing any time soon. 

Fortunately, we can offset the negative impact by implementing some simple fitness tips for the office and home that you can build into your working day! 

Here are 10 Simple Tricks & Tips to help you stay moving throughout your working day! 

1. Wear A Fitness Tracker

Using a wearable device that tracks your steps have been proven to increase your daily steps and encourages more movement throughout the day.

They can also you to set a daily movement goal which prompt you to move at various intervals throughout the day. 

Furthermore, recent evidence has shown that there is no clear advantage to using a newer expensive fitness tracker over a basic pedometer, so it doesn’t have to be costly to implement this office movement tip!

2. Taking A Walk During Breaktimes Or Before Work

Busy days can be an obstacle to taking exercise, but all does not have to be lost. 

Evidence shows short bouts of walking are still very beneficial. 

For example, although a 30mins exercise session is definitely preferable, 3 bouts of 10mins of activity has still resulted in improved blood pressure readings.

So a little bit of movement is better than no activity at all.

3. Start The Day With A Quick Workout

Sometimes, tiredness and demands during the day can lower motivation levels and make it difficult to do a workout at the end of the day. 

This can be counteracted by a quick morning workout instead. 

Your day begins having accomplished a goal which can lead to better nutritional choices for the rest of the day as an added benefit to help you in your fitness goals.

4. Invest In A Standing Desk

Regular changing of positions has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and reduce musculoskeletal pain. 

Studies show by standing intermittently throughout the working day can significantly reduce back and neck pain by as much as 54%!

Want to know what to look for when choosing a Standing Desk? Check out our FREE Guide to Buying a Standing Desk! 

5. Take Water Breaks!

It’s commonplace to see office workers sipping from their water bottles at the desk, as it is well known how important it is to keep hydrated for productivity.

A handy tip is to only partially fill your water bottle which gives you a great reason to leave your desk to top up and boost your overall step count!

6. Introduce Walking Meetings

With the rise of remote working, virtual meetings have become commonplace and unfortunately the result of this can mean long hours of sitting which can contribute to back and joint pain. 

A solution to this is scheduling an online meeting as a walk! 

A walking meeting is usually a type of working meeting that can be held outdoors while walking. 

If weather is a barrier, it can also take place within an office building. 

As recent evidence shows this can help creativity why not give your health and work productivity a boost!

7. Wireless Headsets

While it is indisputable that wireless headsets improve posture and are ergonomically safer, an extra bonus is that they can allow you more freedom of movement throughout the day.

With roaming ranges of up to 400 feet, you can walk around during meetings and calls and even use the opportunity to get that cuppa!

8. Stretch Frequently

Even if a workstation is very well designed, working at a computer means you don’t change body position as regularly as desired for optimum health. 

This lack of movement can lead to muscle pain and strain so incorporating some static stretches for 10-20 seconds throughout the day can offset this.

Here's a 10 Minute Workstation Stretch Workout to keep you stretching every day! 

9. Using The Stairs Instead Of The Elevator Or Lift

Studies have shown that stair climbing throughout the day shown positive effects on health 

When working in the office, try to take the stairs instead of the lift during the day which helps improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce cardiovascular disease.

10. Move Around Your Workplace

While you don’t want to be walking up behind and frightening unsuspecting colleagues, if it’s appropriate you could consider walking across the office to discuss an idea or ask them to meet you on another floor or meeting room to get away from your desk. 

Other options to move around your workplace a bit more is to use the photocopier/wastebin/scanner furthest away from your desk!

Summary 

There you have it – 10 simple office movement tips to build into your workday! 

You will find that staying active in the workplace can be fun and can help build a healthy work environment! 

While benefitting your health, you will also be more productive and energetic too, so why not give some of these tips a try?