For most workers with a steady 9-to-5 job or 40-hour workweek, it can be pretty tricky to find the time to inject a healthy or active lifestyle in their daily routine. There are times when you get waist-deep with work that you end up missing a meal, or maybe the long day has worn you out that all you want to do when you get home is eat and sleep. This is most especially true for those who sit all day in their desks and don’t have the luxury of flexible office hours to balance their outside responsibilities with work.
However, even with those factors present, you still can’t ignore the fact that you should be prioritizing your wellbeing. You have to take care of your body—after all, if you’re sick or out of commission, no work will end up getting done.
Thankfully, it is possible to stay fit in the workplace even when you’re too pressed for time to step foot in the gym. All it takes is incorporating these few mindful habits below:
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Drinking water is probably the most common tip you’ll see in any fitness tips article. That’s because it’s essential! Keep a tumbler or mug at work that you can quickly bring with you and regularly refill that cup with water. Instead of reaching for that second or third cup of coffee, why not just hydrate with water? It can keep you fuller for longer and even curb some of those junk food cravings.
2. Prepare homemade lunch meals
While it’s tempting to buy lunch around your office’s vicinity or eat out with your officemates regularly, it’s a better option to pre-pack your lunch. This way, you consciously get to cook and prep healthy lunch meals and know what you’re putting in your body. Bonus: You can save some cash, too, if you lessen your out-of-office lunch trips.
3. Stand up and walk around regularly
It’s not healthy to sit on your desk for eight hours straight. This compresses your spine and limits your range of motion over time, causing back and joint pain and bad posture. So, whenever you can, try to take two-minute standing breaks and walk around the office. Maybe you can refill your tumbler with water while you’re at it!
4. Propose fitness sessions at work
Why not influence your officemates with some of your newfound interest in health and wellness by proposing office workout sessions? It’s a great way to keep each other accountable and clue in your admin about office activities that are both beneficial and interesting. This can be as simple as scheduling some desk-friendly exercises at specific points of the day, all the way to inviting a fitness instructor to conduct a 60-minute class for you in the workplace. Who needs the gym when the gym can visit you?
5. Take frequent breaks from tasks
Staring at your computer screen for long periods can take a toll on your eyesight and mental wellbeing. Do yourself a favor and look away from your laptop a couple of minutes an hour in your workday before you dive back in. Think of the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’ll refresh you mentally, too!
About the author: Regina del Rosario is the Marketing and PR Specialist at Arch Offices. In her free time, she blogs about health & wellness. She likes to travel alone and wants to climb a mountain one day.
