Have you ever thought about how much time you spend at work verses your free time? If you haven’t, maybe stop reading, and don’t do the math, because you might have a mid-life crisis or quit your job and never come back. The reason for this, is I’m about to tell you that almost half of your waking hours each week are spent at your job. In general, people spend 40 hours at work (the lucky ones) and 50-60 hours using their free time on evenings/weekends.
For active people, this can be a jarring number when you think about how immobile you are throughout the day, especially if you sit at a desk for your job. Sure most days you might be able to squeeze in a workout, but do feel that you are just offsetting the damage that you are doing all day by sitting verses actually improving your health? What if I told you there are ways to take back your work hours? No, I don’t know how to not have a job and get paid (if someone knows, let me know) but it’s just about finding the time, whether that be 5 minutes or 15 minutes during each day and taking them back from the man! Below are a few ideas of how to be more active during the workday.
- Park at the back of the parking lot. If you are like the rest of us, you are probably already late. What’s 5 more minutes?
- Take the stairs. Have to dress up for work and think I’m crazy? I took 7 flights of stairs, every day, for 4 years after college in heels. It can be done, and yes I got lazy and started taking the elevator with the “rest of them”. Let’s go back to the stairs together.
- Start a health challenge at work. Rather than spend your time complaining about your boss, why not talk about ways to get healthy with your co-workers while taking a walk.
- Go to the meeting instead of dialing in. Yes, I know, technology is a beautiful thing, but IT’S KILLING US.
- Exercise at your desk or in a meeting without people knowing. Flex or tighten your abs and glutes for 30 seconds and repeat 5 to 10 times. Multitasking on a whole new level.