You may find that if your desk job requires sitting still for a long period of time. That it also affecting your posture and healthy lifestyles. In this article we talk about the negative impact of a sit down job, alongside some ways on how you can introduce physical activity to your life.
An office job that consists of sitting behind a desk for an average of eight hours and doesn’t involve much movement is more of a reason to introduce a form of exercise. Whether that is the gym, a physical hobby or home workouts.
Posture
The negative impact of a sit down job starts off with an individual’s posture. Ensuring you’re sitting upright, not hunching over or slouching back at the desk will help minimise long term back issues. However, easier said than done for many! When focused and engrossed in your day to day work the priority isn’t to focus on posture. Therefore it is common to sit in the incorrect posture.
Taking regular breaks to walk around, stretch and get away from your desk is a way to introduce more movement into your day. Fitness bands are great for this as they will remind you to get up and walk around to ensure you hit your step count. Alternatively, set up hourly alarms or reminders on your phone to give you that nudge as it is easy to lose track of time and find that 3 hours later you haven’t taken a break.
Snacking
Many of us are guilty of snacking at our office desks. For example, one packet of crisps, followed by a chocolate bar and those leftover biscuits you keep in the draw. Snacking isn’t just a bad habit at the office, it is easy done when working from home too.
When in the office not bringing these snacks will simply mean you can’t eat them. Introduce some healthy snacks to your drawers like fruit, nuts and seeds. Nevertheless, this can be a little more difficult at home as you are exposed to all the snacks purchased in your weekly shop. Introduce a better routine to the day when working from home. By having breakfast and lunch as if you were at the office.
Decreased Movement
As stated previously, an average working day is roughly eight hours. However this can be longer when bigger projects are launching. This is where some physical activity is required as you are only moving from the desk, to the sofa, to the bed which in a nutshell isn’t ideal over a long period.
Choose an activity that you enjoy to take part in as your daily exercise. Dancing is a great way of shaking off any stress, so consider signing up to a Zumba or aerobics class at your local gym. Getting out in the fresh air by running, jogging or even just a brisk walk is an all rounded form of exercise. Sign up to a programme such as couch to 5k which will guide you step by step, making it easier to achieve.
Find the time to spend that half an hour to 45 minutes on a physical activity. Understandably, with a family leaving for an hour or even 45 minutes isn’t always feasible. There are many home workouts that can be easily performed in the lounge with a minimal amount of equipment.
Doing a home workout without distractions is difficult, so find a space that can just be dedicated to you building a healthier lifestyle. Venture outdoors to the garden with a log cabin that can be converted into a gym. Equip it with the machinery to support your gym wants or make it a simple open area where you can put on a video workout and complete it without any fuss!
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Check out our article on How to Stay Fit at Home – Our 5 Home Fitness Tips!
Doing a sit-down job is a type of job that unfortunately does only require a minimal amount of movement. Introducing some of these small changes to your day to day working life is better than nothing. From no physical activity to just a simple 10 – 15 minutes will slowly become enjoyable. Additionally it may make you want to do more. As they say, slow and steady wins the race!
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