Stay Healthy at the Office

We all know we should be active, and many of us wish we could spend more time running or working out, but between work and school and everything else, there sometimes isn’t much time left to stay as active as you would like. Here are some tips to help you be as active as possible, short of running back and forth in the office, even when you sit at a desk all day!

1. If you have the option, take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator. That little bit of exercise can get your heart rate up and help you stay healthy. The exception to this rule is when it is late and dark, or the stairs are deserted and secluded. Keep your safety in mind and stay around other people, ladies! Don’t put yourself at risk of being attacked just because you want to take the stairs.
2. Modern conveniences make it possible for us to sit in one place almost all day without having to move and still get all our work done. Resist the urge to IM or email the person four cubicles down from you. Get up and move around as often as possible, while still getting all your work done, of course!
3. Leave the office for lunch. Don’t eat out everyday, because that’s not healthy for your waist or your wallet, but take your lunch and walk to a nearby park or bench. Again, the fresh air and exercise are great for you! If you’re in school all day, eat lunch outside if at all possible!
4. Resist the urge to snack at your computer all day. Bring a bag of veggies to work with you if you can’t kick the munchies.
5. Keep some weights in your desk drawer and pull them out from time to time and do a few exercises for your arms. This will keep your muscles active even if you are sitting still all day.

So try these things out and see if it doesn’t help you stay just a little more active. And don’t hit the couch when you do get home! Do some relaxing stretches or go for a short run! If you have any tips for staying active in the office, share with the rest of us!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 13th, 2006 at 6:03 pmand is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.