by Jen Foley, MVHNews fitness blogger, Healthy Lifestyles Director at Two Rivers YMCA
Don’t feel chained to your desk! In the spirit of QC in Motion week, every day we’ll take a look at easy ways to squeeze in some activity during those long work hours.
I know it’s hard. As Healthy Lifestyles Director at the Two Rivers YMCA, Moline, I see and talk to workers and executives every day about the exhausting effort it can take to make time for any physical activity at all.
But don’t be so hard on yourselves and remember that life is a cinch by the inch and hard by the yard…So take a few simple steps toward a better life and you may feel a bit better at your desk or on the job…
Friday’s QC in Motion Office Tips:
- If you travel for work, plan ahead. If you’re stuck in an airport waiting for a plane, grab your bags and take a brisk walk. I also have done walking lunges to mix it up, you may get a few stares but you will be getting stronger. Choose a hotel that has fitness facilities — such as treadmills, weight machines or a pool — or bring your equipment with you. Jump-ropes and resistance bands are easy to sneak into a suitcase. Of course, you can do jumping jacks, crunches, planks and other simple exercises without any equipment at all.
- Try a treadmill desk. If you’re ready to take office exercise to the next level, consider a more focused walk-and-work approach. If you can comfortably position your work surface above a treadmill — with a computer screen on a stand, a keyboard on a table or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk — you may be able to walk while you work. In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that overweight office workers who replace sitting computer time with walking computer time by two to three hours a day could lose 44 to 66 pounds (20 to 30 kilograms) in a year. The pace doesn’t need to be brisk, nor do you need to break a sweat. The faster you walk, however, the more calories you’ll burn.
Want more ideas for office exercise? Schedule a walking meeting to brainstorm ideas with your supervisors or co-workers. Remember, any physical activity counts!
Source: Mayo Clinic
Thursday’s QC in Motion Office Tips:
- Take Activity Breaks. A recent Australian study has revealed a strong link between sitting and heart disease and other chronic ailments. The study at the Cancer Prevention Research Centre at in the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland, Australia, found that prolonged sitting at the office (for example), led to larger waists, higher blood pressure, higher levels of triglycerides, increased body inflammation and lower levels of “good” cholesterol.
Even if you exercised 30 – 60 minutes a day, it may not be sufficient. What you should do is have frequent breaks when you stand up or move around during the day. The researchers suggested that people incorporate frequent breaks with movements throughout the day since this is associated with smaller waistlines and better all-around health.
So, today, try your own experiment: notice how much you sit during the day. And begin to pay attention to all the little opportunities to get up and move:
1) Park the car father away
2) Take the stairs
3) Walk to talk to someone instead of email
4) Walk over lunch
5) Conduct meetings on the go
6) Pick up the pace
If you have a job that requires sitting get up out of your seat a few times stretch, or walk down the hallway briskly. If your job involves walking, do it faster. Keep your chin up and your shoulders slightly back — and remember to breathe freely while you walk…your health may depend on it.
Source: http://health.msn.com/
Wednesday’s QC in Motion Office Tips:
- Keep fitness equipment in your work area. If you are crunched for time because your stuck at your desk all day or have long meetings; Store some resistance bands – stretchy cords that offer weight-like resistance when you pull on them – or small hand weights in a desk drawer or cabinet. Do some bicep curls, shoulder raises between meetings or tasks. You will be surprised how good you feel after you get that blood flowing!
- Get outside and get social! The sun is out and it is getting warmer, so organize a lunchtime walking group! You will be surrounded by people who are ready to lace up their walking shoes – and hold each other accountable for regular exercise. Get outside and enjoy each other’s company! Offer encouragement to one another when the going gets tough.
Tuesday’s QC in Motion Office Tips:
- Trade your office chair for a fitness ball. A firmly inflated fitness or stability ball makes a good chair. You’ll improve your balance and tone your core muscles while sitting at your desk. Sitting on an unstable surface all day will improve your sense of balance, as well as the reactions of your muscles. You can even use the fitness ball for wall squats or other exercises during the day. The ball forces proper spine alignment because an exercise ball is not stable, so your body needs to try to balance itself on it.
- Brainstorm on the bike path. Discuss business plans with colleagues while going for a short walk instead of sitting in a conference room. Develop a new corporate culture of “walking meetings.” It’s amazing how energized colleagues will be in the fresh air with all that blood moving through bodies! Other ways to move: Don’t hang out in the lounge with coffee or a snack, take a brisk walk or do some gentle stretching. Take the long way to the copier, and restroom. And, instead of a coffee break, take a 10 minute walk break! You’ll burn a few extra calories and prevent stiffness.
Monday’s QC in Motion Office Tips:
- Start adding steps to your day. Park farther from the door, take the stairs or better yet, try adding a walk over lunch or bike to work. Need some inspiration? Read about our Bike-to-Work blogger Jeff Cozad, a fellow cyclist and Deere employee, who is sharing his tips and passion for his daily commute to work from Bettendorf to downtown Moline, every day this week.
- Stand up! Look for opportunities to stand during the day. You actually burn more calories standing than sitting. Stand up while you eat, or if you’ve got to talk to a co-worker, put down the phone and e-mail, and walk to your colleague’s office. Face-to-face time is a great time to reconnect, brainstorm and move your leg muscles!
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Jen Foley is the Healthy Lifestyles Director at the Two Rivers YMCA, Moline. Jen majored in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Tennessee and Gerontology at Sonoma State University. She lives in Davenport with her husband, Tim and their two pugs Jack and Lucy. She enjoys having an active lifestyle and helping others achieve their goals.
For a listing of all of Jen’s blog posts, click here. |
