Incorporating exercise into your workday doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or time-consuming. By making small changes and adding 2-5 mins of workouts to the daily routine can also promote a healthy workplace and increase productivity.
Studies show that regular physical activity can reduce your risk for depression, anxiety, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol – but finding time to exercise while working can be challenging. Some people have jobs that demand long work hours. But what we can do is try taking small steps to incorporate 2-5 mins of workouts every few hours throughout the day. In this way, we can implement physical activity into our daily routine and maintain a healthy and productive work environment.
Here are 7 creative ways to add movement into your day.
Ideas to Incorporate Exercise into the Workday
1. Stretches at your desk
Achy back, creaky neck, tight hips… does this sound familiar?
Stretching at your desk can significantly help relieve tension, improve circulation and reduce the pain that many of us feel due to long hours of sitting. It’s just unavoidable for most individuals. Simple stretching exercises such as neck stretches, side bend stretches, shoulder and arm stretch, shoulder rolls, and leg raises can help you ease pain and increase your mobility.
2. Organize an office fitness challenge
Organize a fitness challenge with your colleagues, friends or team. Set goals and track each other progress together. This can create a sense of community and accountability, making it more likely that everyone will stick to their exercise routines. Encourage each other to exercise for better health by organizing an office fitness challenge in a private office community.
There’s nothing like a group challenge to stay motivated and create a healthy workplace. Make it even more fun by adding challenges in your private community with the O’Coach app to help people connect and track each other’s progress.
3. Walk and talk
Walking can help improve your mood, increase your energy levels, and reduce stress. Try to take a 10-15 minute walk during your break around your building to get some fresh air and stretch your legs. You will not only feel re-focused and re-energized all day, but your body will also thank you for the physical exercise.
If you think that you don’t have much time for a walk try to participate in conference calls or return calls that don’t require you to be in front of a computer.
4. Stand up often
If you have a sedentary job that requires you to sit for long periods of time and you cannot break away to go for a short walk, do the next best thing.
Just stand up!
Research has shown that standing up for a few minutes even once every hour has a positive impact on your health as it helps improve mental clarity and focus. While standing is certainly not a rigorous exercise, it’s better than just sitting straight for eight hours in a slouched position.
5. Stay aware of your posture
As we sit in a slouched position for more than 8 hours continuously. It is important to maintain good posture throughout the day to prevent back and neck pain and enhance overall physical and mental well-being.
You already know to “sit up straight with your shoulders back,” but it can be easy to forget and start slouching. What you can do is add a post-it note to your desk to remind you to maintain good posture throughout the day and stay aware of your posture.
6. Walking meetings:
Instead of sitting in a conference room, why not take your meetings outside for a walk? This not only promotes physical activity but also can lead to more creative and productive discussions. Walking meetings not only provide an opportunity to exercise but also help us stay fit and break up our workday. One-on-one walking meetings also encourage healthy workplace relationships.
7. Take active breaks throughout the day
Sitting for long hours can cause stiffness and make your body fatigued, leading to reduced productivity and even chronic pain. On the other hand, taking 2-5 mins active breaks throughout the day for some physical activity can help us recharge and refocus our energy and attention. Plus, it significantly improves your productivity at work and promotes a healthy workplace.
Full body exercise to add to the workday :
Taking active breaks throughout the day may enhance both physical and mental health, as well as productivity and creativity at work. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize exercise and incorporate such breaks into our daily work routine to improve blood circulation, reduce stress and increase energy and overall physical and mental health.
Exercises that we can add to our daily work routine:
Knee Rotation
Neck Rotation
Squats
Hip Rotation
Try adding these exercises with the help of O’Coach app into your daily routine:
Download the 100% free O’Coach custom workout app to perform your daily 2-5 mins workout with the O’Coach app.
- You can also create your own custom workout routine according to your need and preferences.
- You can add exercise reminder schedules based on your convenience and requirements.
- You can create a small community with your friends and supporting family members to keep you motivated and ensure progress.
