If the most exercise you get in a day is going from your desk to the printer or to the lunchroom, you may want to make some changes to be healthier. Studies show that people who work in an office struggle to get enough exercise to be healthy. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you can change your habits to get more exercise.
Make Little Changes
Little changes can have big impact. You’ve probably heard about taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from the door. While these may not seem to be much, they can have significant impact if they increase your level of activity at all.
Wear a Pedometer
Start wearing a pedometer even if you haven’t figured out how to get more exercise. In fact, it’s a good start to see how much you’re walking right now. Once you know what is a normal number of steps, you can set small goals to increase them. Go from 3000 steps to 4000 rather than trying to reach 10,000 per day all at once.
Keep Moving
Even if you must sit for several hours a day at your job, you can still keep mobile. Get up and walk around the desk a couple of times each hour. Do a few stretches while you’re up or even when you’re sitting down.
Drink More Water
Many people who must sit all day don’t have the energy to get up and move. Drink more water, which will help you feel better. When you’re dehydrated, you lack energy and often feel fatigued. Increasing your water intake can help you feel more like moving.
Don’t forget to incorporate exercise into your day as much as possible, even if it’s a walk in the evenings around your neighborhood. You can get healthier and more active even with a desk job.