7 Ways to stay healthy when you have to sit at a desk all day

Desk Problems: 7 Ways to stay healthy when you have to sit all day

Lim Han

19 Apr 2017

updated the 20 April 2017 à 10:24

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Desk exercises
Yes, you can exercise whilst sitting down. From lifting weights to lifting yourself, the possibilities are limitless. Why not try out these ones.

1. Leg Lifters

Sitting in your chair, lift one leg off the seat, extend it out straight, hold for 2 seconds; then lower your foot (stop short of the floor) and hold for several seconds. Switch; do each leg 15 times.

2. Butt Lifters

To work your chest and shoulders, place both hands on your chair arms and slowly lift your bottom off the chair. Lower yourself back down but stop short of the seat, hold for a few seconds. Do 15 times.
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Take short hourly walks
Every hour, get your bum off of that deadly chair and indulge in a short stroll. Saunter to the toilet, stroll out and back into the office or circle around your workspace a few times, whatever you feel like doing. The most important thing is to get your legs moving and your heart pumping as much as possible throughout the day. These brief walks will all accumulate into a giant ball of activeness and make a big difference to your overall lifestyle.
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Stretch
If you’re perpetually swamped with work and simply can’t afford to take a breather every hour, opt for short stretches. Whether it’s touching your toes, marching on the spot or doing a few jumping jacks, stretching will not only loosen up your body, but will also invigorate your body and improve your work flow. And, don’t worry, we're sure your colleagues aren't going to judge you. If anything, they’ll be jealous of your flexibility.
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Have meetings on the move
Got a brainstorming session coming up? If it only involves two to three people, ditch the meeting room and head outside. Mobile meetings are not only beneficial for your fitness, the kinetic motion also ignites creativity and clarity in thinking. You can thank us later for the ultra-productive discussion.
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Stand when you can
Standing beats sitting in the fitness department any day. The sheer effort of standing up instantly doubles your metabolic rate and the calories burnt. Plus, did you know that your fat-burning enzymes shut themselves off when you sit for long, resulting in fat storage instead of a breakdown? Bottom line: stand when you can. You can easily do so while flipping through folders or making phone calls.
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Healthy office snacks
Whether the “80% diet, 20% exercise” theory is true or not, there’s no arguing there that what you put into your body holds a monumental significance to your health. You can’t possibly be exercising moderately while stuffing your face with fried chicken wings and golden fries and expecting to be in the pink of health. Reach over that chewy chocolate bar or that packet of sugar-loaded biscuits and grab that bag of natural nuts or basket of fresh fruits. You’ll be very happy you did.
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Do something active before you get home
Congratulations, you’re done for the day! But, before you go gamboling off to wild parties or scrambling home to catch the newest Netflix show while idly wolfing down popcorn the entire evening, why not squeeze in a fruitful workout? After all, your body deserves some loving fitness after it’s been trapped to a chair for the past eight or nine hours. Hit the gym or go for a bicycle ride – it’s up to you. Just get your heart running and your head perspiring!

The chair is our new enemy.

Office companions, we know the physical struggle (or lack, thereof). “I’m too tired” or “I have no time” or “There’s too much work” – we’ve heard it all. The list of excuses we conjure up to justify ourselves about our sedentary lifestyles can probably run on forever. Jettisoning our frequent gym sessions or our habitual evening runs after landing our new office job may be liberating at first, but they entail some heavy consequences we simply can’t eschew. Sitting down for prolonged periods is way more dangerous than you think – engendering obesity, back issues, high blood pressure… we’ve barely scratched the surface. Bottom line? Humans are made to move around, not to have our bums glued to a chair all day.

Quash your laziness – it’s time to break free from the chains of our desk. Sprint over to our gallery to find out the 7 effectual ways you can keep fit despite being tied to your work table the entire day. Starting today, the office is your new gym! (Unless, of course, it’s the weekend.)

Lim Han

Photos: Getty Images

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