Poor Mental Health at Work!
‘Sitting down all day is killing us’.
It was back in spring last year when this report by Public Health England kickstarted the ‘On Your Feet Britain’ campaign that we embraced here at the Gotcha office.
But, good intentions slide and bad habits creep in. In the spirit of keeping healthy, happy and productive at work – even if you work at a computer all day – we’ve pulled together ten top tips how to stay fit if you’ve got an office job.
How to stay fit when you’ve got a desk job – our top 10 tips.
1. Exercise before work.
Set your alarm 30 minutes early and go for a walk / jog / run. Organise everything you need the night before so all you have to do is wake up and fall into your exercise gear. Or if running’s not for you, do some press ups or sprints. If you get it out of the way early, you’ll be less likely to find an excuse not to exercise later in the day.
2. Have a lunchtime fitness class.
You might have to have a vote on this one. You can choose aerobics, tai chi, yoga, Zumba… Make it fun and something everyone can join in – regardless of fitness levels.
3. Go to the gym on the way home.
Once you’re on that sofa with a cuppa and some biscuits, you’ll never go out into the cold. If you want to go to the gym after work, pack your bag and take it with you in the morning so you can call in on the way home.
4. Have an office fitness challenge
Sign up for a local 10km run and get everyone to train together. It’s much easier to stay motivated if you have a target. And much easier to reach that target if you’ve got support from others.
5. Get a pedometer.
Set a target number of steps per day. Wear your pedometer at work and challenge yourself to meet your target. A common target is 10,000 steps per day. Try walking up and down while you’re on the phone, or when you’re thinking.
6. Stop work and stretch once an hour.
Set an alarm on your computer to remind you. Even better, nominate someone in the office to remind everyone. Then you can have office stretch time, like they do in Japan.
7. Buy cheap exercise equipment for the break room.
A skipping rope? A pull-up bar? Or maybe a punchbag with boxing gloves. You could combine this with an office fitness challenge – skip for 3 minutes without stopping. Or you could install a table-tennis table and have a tournament.
8. Go for a walk at lunchtime.
If no-one else is interested in exercise or your premises are too small for some kind of organised activity, then simply go for a walk. It has the added benefit of getting you outside so you’ll generate some vitamin D and boost your immune system as well.
9. Create an office team.
If you don’t want to compete against each other, compete against someone else. Football, netball, volleyball – form a team and get fit together. Then find some competition to beat!
10. Cycle or walk to work.
The most time-efficient way of staying fit is getting to work under your own steam. Depending on the distance, you can walk, run or cycle. You’ll save money and feel great when you arrive at the office.
You can pick the ones you like the best because it’s important to know how to stay fit at work. We have to admit, some are more hardcore than others! Download the tip sheet, print it out and make it an office challenge to try one new thing every month.
Download the definitive guide to staying fit in the office:
