6 Tips for Staying Active and Healthy at Work

business meetingUnless your job is that of a fitness professional which sees you exercising every single day, it can be tricky to maintain a healthy and active routine when you’re working. With desk jobs being so abundant these days, you may find yourself sat down for at least eight hours a day. Even if you do have a job which enables you to be on your feet and moving about during the working day, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being healthy at work either; it could be that you have bad food and drinking habits during the working day, and are turning to unhealthy lunches or endless cups of coffee to get you through the day.

Staying active and healthy during the working day is just as important as your personal fitness routine, as you spend the majority of your week in the workplace.

Here are six tips for engaging in a healthier routine when you’re working:


Plan Ahead

The worst habits are embraced in the moment when you’re battling with a busy working day. Preparation is going to help you combat that.

Try to prepare and plan all your lunches in advance, so that you can make healthy meals at home and take them with you on the day, to avoid spontaneous splurging on unhealthy meals. Ensure that you have a bottle of water with you at all times, and one which you can easily refill when needed, to stay hydrated. If you depend too much on grabbing a bottle of water at some point during the day, it probably won’t happen if you’re busy.

Force Yourself to Move About

It doesn’t matter how you do it, but if you’re working at a desk or are sat down a lot during the working day, you need to make a conscious effort to get up and move. You can’t wait for an opportunity to present itself, as it then may be a case of being sat down without moving for four hours before lunch being the first time you move properly.

It’s easier if you put structure and reminders into your daily routine, even if you have to manually set a reminder such as a pop up on your screen or a notification on the phone. This could be a reminder to get up and walk to get a glass of water after an hour sat down. Or, to simply stand up and stretch. Do this regularly throughout the day.

Furthermore, ensure that you avoid spending your lunchbreak sat at your desk in the same place. Make yourself have lunch elsewhere, or even take a walk on your lunchbreak outside.

Think Differently About Your Commute


If you live within walking distance of your place of work but usually take public transport or a short drive in the car, you may want to switch to walking instead. Or, if your place of work is too far to walk to, you could always consider cycling. If your place of work is still too far, there are simple adjustments you can make depending on how you get there; if you take public transport, could you walk to a certain stop which is further away and then catch your transport? Or could you stand up instead of sitting down?

Consider a Job Which is Health-Focused

There’s nothing stopping you — if you have a passion for a healthy lifestyle and good practices, but your current job simply isn’t enabling you to embrace that as much as you would like, maybe you could turn your career into one which focuses on good health practices. Some job roles, such as a family nurse practitioner, enable you to help others with health support and advice, which you can then apply to your own life too. Working in a setting which is health-focused will really help you to adapt the same advice and considerations to your own situation.

Think About the Small Things You Can Do

Every little helps when it comes to being active. If you work at a desk, are there any desk-based exercises you could introduce, which you could do by moving your legs or feet whilst working? Can you ensure you have a good and healthy posture? Can you be more mindful about how you’re sitting and therefore make sure you remember to stretch and move regularly rather than sitting still and slouched? Be conscious about every little habit.

Change Your Communication Routine

Do you usually call a colleague or email your boss with a question, and wait for a response? How far away are they from you? If they’re within walking distance, why not try walking to them to speak to them in person instead, so that it gives you the opportunity to move?

Staying active and healthy at work doesn’t have to be overly demanding, but it is absolutely essential for your health overall.

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