Wouldn’t it be great if all companies offered their employees free healthy food in their cafeterias, lunchtime exercise classes, walking programs for coffee breaks, stretch breaks, a meditation room, or just an activity room to have some fun, and let go for an hour to re-energize?  There are some companies who actually do offer all of these things for their employees but it’s certainly not the norm in today’s work force.  Some businesses just don’t have the necessary space or financial backing to offer active living programs in their workplace so you have to get creative.  Get started by taking these simple steps to getting your body active and feeling great all day long at work.

 1.       Say No to the Elevator

The pressure of meeting daily work demands can put enormous amounts of stress on our bodies.  Start making it a habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  If you work in a tall rise building and find it impossible to walk up all those flight of stairs, then take the elevator to a particular floor and walk the remainder of the floors.  Arrive a little earlier at work to compensate for the extra time and try to do the same thing after your work day is completed.  Start with one or two flights of stairs and build your way up.   Remember, every little bit counts so your body is still benefiting by getting your body up and moving. 

Set a goal for yourself and see how many flights of stairs you can reach weekly, monthly, or in a year.  Make taking the stairs a habit and the elevator a non-option.  You don’t even need a workplace gym as you can just walk up and down the stairs at lunchtime for 20-30 minutes.  Grab a friend to keep you company or bring your favourite music and make a workout out of it. 

Physical Benefits – Climbing stairs improves our strength, bone density, and muscle tone. It can also improve mental health as when we climb stairs, our bodies release endorphins, those feel good hormones we all like.  It’s a great way to relieve some muscle tension and stress from your job even if it’s just for 5 minutes.

2.  Exercise ball or standing desk

I use this at home and it’s actually become quite fun for me to use.  It’s ideal for lower back and posture awareness.  If you ever find yourself slumping in your chair mid-afternoon, sitting on an exercise ball will keep you more alert and prevent you from slouching.  If you start to slouch, you will actually fall off of the ball.  I take time to use it as a creative break.  I catch myself sometimes bouncing on the ball which not only gets my body a little more active but it provides me with a little mental break to have a few minutes of fun.  Just ensure you move the ball away from the desk and give yourself a little space.

Our bodies are meant to move, not sit all day long.  A standing desk allows you to stand up comfortably all day long while you work.  You may think that standing all day long can put a lot of strain on your feet or lower back but there are many adjustable versions available that allow you to alternate between a sitting and standing position.

Physical & mental benefits - Several studies have shown that standing desks can dramatically decrease chronic back pain caused by prolonged sitting.  Standing desks also help improve mood and energy levels which can in turn boost productivity.

3.       Walk and Talk

Are you one of those people who sends an email to the person sitting next to you?  Wouldn’t it make more sense instead of texting, emailing, or calling several times from your desk to get up and walk over to your co-worker?  If you think you are wasting time by getting up out of your desk to walk to a co-worker’s desk or go to another floor, then think of all the time you waste on your emails.  Most people will admit that the biggest time waster in their day is spending time in their inbox reading emails.  You can actually save time by making the extra effort to go and get a response in person than over a computer.  It’s also a good time to say ‘hello’ to a fellow co-worker.  You can use this time to get caught up while still moving the body.  Even better, decide on a meeting place with your co-worker so that the two of you are moving and talking together.

Need a bathroom break, then go to the next floor.  Take the stairs to fit in some extra steps.  It’s a great way to stretch out the legs and entire body.  Trade the boardroom for bicycles.  If you are stuck in meetings all day which means more sitting, then arrange for the people in the meeting to bring their bikes to work for the day. You can take a leisurely ride on a route that’s quiet enough to allow for group discussion or even arrange for a walking meeting.

Physical & mental benefits -  If you leave a note somewhere in your workspace to get up at least once an hour to talk to a co-worker about a work issue, not only will it save you time in exchanging emails but you are burning some calories and moving your body.  This can result in weight loss over a period of time.  It will also give you the extra boost of productivity once you return to your desk and make you more efficient.  Less stress makes you a happier person!

4.       Leave the Desk at Lunch to Workout

Of all the people I spoke with, this was one of the most challenging things to give up.  That hour you are given to refresh and mentally take a break, you would rather use to catch up on work.  You can actually be more productive if you use your time to workout or be active.  If your workplace doesn’t have a gym, then create your own.  Go outside and take a short walk, walk up and down those workplace stairs or bring your bike to work.  Walking at a moderate or even slow pace is much more productive use of time than sitting at your desk.  You will be surprised at how much more productive you are after eating some clean food, and taking a break from your desk to accomplish more in the second half of your day.

Physical & mental benefits – A change of scenery and getting active is a good way to become more productive and reduce stress.  Getting outside and getting some Sun rays stimulate the body to produce Vitamin D and encourage the production of serotonin (a hormone that plays an important part in the regulation of mood). Getting away from our desks and moving around helps prevent the onset of musculoskeletal disorders (from prolonged poor posture)

5.      Coffee Break Stroll

Even if you don’t drink coffee, you can still take a water break.  Arrange with some co-workers to get coffee outside of the workplace that is close by so you are getting some physical activity and soaking up some vitamin D.  No coffee shop close by, then grab your coffee or beverage of choice and take the stairs outside and walk around the building.  Again, if you are entitled to coffee breaks, use them.  It’s also a great time to discuss some business so get outside and walk n’ talk.  The fresh air may even provide some new ideas and solutions.  Working longing hours doesn’t mean better work.  Instead, highly efficient, productive work is more valuable, and frequent breaks promote that.

Physical & mental benefits – All the walking regardless if it’s walking up and down the stairs or outside, adds up at the end of day.  What we do outside of the gym is just as important as what we do inside it.  Getting the body moving and taking frequent breaks can help relieve stress, especially when taken with peers or coworkers.  Coffee breaks offer downtime, which can help reboot energy levels.