You are trying to boost your steps, looking to increase your everyday activity and are looking to combat the effects of sitting (read more on this here) however you might feel this is impossible when at work. It isn’t.
Did you know that walking around for just a few minutes for every hour you work could help dull the urge to snack, sharpen your focus and boost your motivation?
A recently study also found that getting up and enjoying short but brisk walk breaks during the day was actually better for you long term than taking a long walk at lunch time or before work (although walking during the day and choosing longer walks as usual is certainly not a bad thing).
Sitting for too long has been known to increase the risk of obesity, type two diabetes, depression and more. If nothing else, getting up and moving around gets you away from a computer screen if your work involves this, and if not, a quick change of scenery is good for inspiration and might offer a new perspective to help you with the piece of work you are currently on with.
It seems that moving more is something that the majority of people are aware they need to do, judging by the uptake of pedometers, activity bracelets / watches and walking apps. What I would love to see now is people changing the way they move more in order to boost their overall physical and mental wellbeing.
Some activity trackers even have “idle reminders” which can be set to specific intervals in order to buzz and remind you that it’s time to get up and move. You could also set a reminder on your phone or your computer.
Another plus point for getting up and moving is that it also offers you the opportunity to hydrate. While many people have a water bottle or similar at their desk, some don’t. Use your walk time to get some water, to refill your water bottle or as an extra reminder to take a drink before you set off on your mini walk.
Will you make this change during your day? Will you get up every hour and walk for five minutes? Will you use the stairs instead of the lift? I’d love to hear how you’ve got on with this so pop over to my Facebook page to update me.