Enjoy this week’s post from Darcy Geho, owner of Digital Darcy, on how to move more at work!
Throughout my professional career, I’ve spent 8+ hours per day sitting at a desk. For several years I worked in traditional office environments, which tend to offer a few more opportunities for daily movement. But, for more than a decade, I have worked remotely from a home office, where often days go by too quickly before I realize it’s been several hours since I stood up from my desk chair.
I’ve always known it is important to get regular exercise, but I also tend to get engrossed in my work. However, this year I became more aware of the importance of regular movement when my body protested with a somewhat extended and uncomfortable case of swollen ankles.
After a trip to the doctor, it was essentially determined that nothing is physically wrong with me – aside from the fact that I am working at my desk too much without moving around.
Though I was already trying to enforce better movement habits, this was a wakeup call for me to prompt me to put those habits into actual practice. Regardless if you work in a traditional office space or a home office, working at a desk for too many hours can result in negative consequences on your health.
So, today I am sharing the combination of things I’ve implemented that are helping me to move more during my workday.
- I started wearing a fitness watch.
There are several different fitness watches on the market, but there are two features that seem to be relatively common regardless of brand and model. The first is the ability to track the number of steps you take in a day, and the second is reminders that tell you to GET UP at least every hour. Some of the other bells and whistles on my particular watch are nice too, but those are the two features I find most helpful.
- I purchased an under-desk elliptical.
I did a bunch of research on various models and painstakingly checked reviews of various machines that offer the opportunity to get a bit of exercise WHILE you work. In the end, I ended up snagging a sweet deal on my top pick, and I love it. I try to use it a few times throughout the day, especially if I’m involved with work and don’t want to take the time to get up from my desk right that minute. It doesn’t offer an actual workout, but it does get my legs moving while I work – which was the goal.
- I joined a couple of simple fitness programs.
I needed some help getting some structure set to how I should be incorporating the movement, and one of my coaches offered a month-long accountability program that helped me develop my goals into habits while cheering me on. She also offered ideas for things I could do each hour when I get up from my desk for the “movement breaks” that involve a few short workouts that are more interesting than pacing around my house for a few minutes. Another coach I work with offers a fun program for short yoga breaks that can be done right at your desk, which gives me another option to move more and incorporate “movement breaks” that don’t take a lot of time!
- I started doing yoga regularly.
I had never done yoga before, but I joined a group program that was for all skill levels. The sessions are easy to follow and make me feel so much better. I prefer to do them in the morning and then move on with my day.
- I became more intentional about taking walks.
I have always had dogs, so am usually pretty regular about taking them for at least some sort of walk, though not always daily. I tried to become more regular about that, and some days I also took walks by myself. I find solo walks to be a great way to clear my head, and also a great way to catch up on listening to my favorite podcasts.
The combination of these simple tips has helped me over the past several months. I’m happy to share that almost immediately after putting a combination of these things into practice, my swelling completely disappeared and hasn’t returned. A side bonus is that I’ve also lost 10 pounds, and I feel so much better!
As you can see, movement in your day doesn’t have to equal a bunch of really crazy workouts that take a lot of time. Just get up from your desk and move around. Walk around the block, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to errands instead of driving if possible, etc. Once you get into the mindset of getting up from your desk and getting those steps taken care of, it doesn’t take long for it to become a habit.
Good luck!
Darcy Geho is the owner of Digital Darcy, where she is a content marketing strategist helping small businesses with social media, email marketing, blog and website content, and more. Darcy is also the owner of Preserving My Sanity, a lifestyle blog focused on natural living, healthy cooking, and food preservation. With nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and project management, she has worked in the tourism, real estate, vacation rental, healthcare, technology, and nonprofit industries. Darcy and her husband live in Minnesota.
The post How to Get Up from Your Desk and Move More During Your Work Day appeared first on Melissa Forziat Events and Marketing.
