By Kristen Pearson, Guest Contributor
In an age where human sicknesses and weight problems are rampant, people use gym memberships, eating right, and dieting pills as a ‘fix all’ to get thin and stay illness free. So is going to the gym 3-4 times a week and eating right the answer to overall physical health? You may be shocked to hear that only working out a few hours a week and sitting for 8 hours a day at work is worse for your body than you may think. According to New York Times author Eric V. Copage, “Sitting for long periods is hard on the body. It strains the back and causes the muscles to become slack. It slows the processes that metabolize calories, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.” So what does this mean? Your exercise program of three to four days a week may keep you in shape, but it doesn’t protect you from the consequences suffered from long spurts of inactivity, some of which may result in longer term health risks.
Some of you may throw this advice to the wind, but let’s take a moment to think about this logically. When you are sitting for hours staring at a report that was due yesterday, the only thing moving, are your fingers. Now, I am no expert or doctor, but having in shape fingers never made those, “my jeans are getting tight days,” better. So what can you do to increase your health at work? I will let you know that you can do more than just avoid those candy dishes and company potlucks–you can get up and move!
During work hours, use those allotted breaks to move around and take a walk. You can also take the stairs. Yes. I said stairs. We may think of it as a foreign concept to add an extra 2 minutes onto our daily commute from our car to our desk, juggling laptops, bags, and Starbucks coffee cups, but I promise your lungs and muscles will thank you.
In Copage’s article, Don’t Just Sit there, Workout at Your Desk, he offers some types of exercises you can do while at your desk, such as using water bottles for arm weights. But, if this exercise is not for you here are a few other ways to give your fingers a rest and get your blood pumping while at work:
- Replace your chair with an exercise ball.
- Take walks throughout the day.
- Take the stairs.
- Take the long way to the bathroom.
- Stand while talking on the phone or doing other activities that don’t require your computer.
- Utilize the office equipment around you; like using your desk chair to do arm dips.
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