What You Can Do Stay Fit, Strong and Healthy at Work
Many people have one goal at the end of a long workday – to get home, kick off your shoes, and collapse on the couch to ease their tired and aching body. How can a day of sitting at a desk be so physically exhausting? The truth is, many office environments put a lot of strain on your body, living you sore and aching at the end of the day, and too exhausted to even think about working out. Here are a few simple tricks to help you stay fit and healthy, even at work. You work hard to take care of yourself and your body – don’t let the hours you spend in an office every day undo it all!
Stretch Regularly
For many, a day at the office means a day of sitting in the same position for hour after hour. Our bodies were not designed to handle this position for such long amounts of time. Studies suggest that the long periods of time spent sitting at an office desk every day can put you at greater risk for obesity, join problems, and muscle pain. You can help counteract this by taking the time to get up and stretch during the day. During your workday, make a point of getting up and stretching your muscles. Even if it’s just a few trips down the hall and back, they can add up over the course of the day and help your muscles stay stretched out and healthy.
Get a Better Chair
The next time lower back pain forces you to skip spin class or struggle through even basic yoga poses, think about where your pain comes from. If you sit in an office all day, chances are good that your uncomfortable office chair might have something to do with it. Switching to an ergonomically designed chair can help take the pressure of your joints and your lower back, supporting proper posture and easing the pain, instead of keeping you from enjoying an active lifestyle. Plus, your posture will benefit, helping you stand up straight for a strong and confident feeling. For bonus points, try a ball chair or exercise ball – sitting on the rounded surface forces you to engage your abs, giving your core a workout while you work.
Wear the Right Shoes
Looking good at work is important to many people – when you feel great about how you look, you feel more confident and powerful. However, your style shouldn’t come at the cost of your body. No one is saying that you have to relegate yourself to an office shoe wardrobe of only flats or orthopedic footwear, but when you spend the day on your feet in those stylish but painful stilettos, the price you pay may be more severe than you think. Wear shoes that