How to stay fit and healthy at your office job
As kids, we dreamed of becoming firefighters, astronauts, or even professional athletes. In the end, many of us found ourselves working in an office instead.
While office jobs may not be as exciting as the careers we imagined when we were younger, they do have their perks, especially if your employer has a decent coffee machine in the kitchen. However, it can also mean that we spend far too much time sitting each day.
Here’s how you can battle that daily habit and discover tips to help stay active at work.
Take regular breaks to move throughout the day
Get up and move around as often as you can.
That quick email you were going to send to a colleague? Get up and go chat with them at their desk. That call you need to be in on? Get up and walk around the office while you’re taking it. That lunch you were going to have while sitting at your desk? Get up and find somewhere a little more scenic to enjoy your sandwich.
You can even download an app that reminds you to get up and move if you haven’t for a while, and also tracks how much time you spend sitting.
It’s less about what you do, and more about simply doing it. So long as you find ways to get up and move more regularly throughout the day.
Use a standing desk to reduce sitting time
Standing desks have taken over many workplaces as businesses seek ways to better look after their employees. But how often do you actually use one?
Try to incorporate more time at a standing desk, whether that’s during a certain task, a set time, or randomly throughout the day.
Keep in mind that while recent studies have shown that it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of office health solutions, it still beats sitting down all day and can potentially improve back pain and give you an energy boost.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to improve your health and wellness at work. Water helps with digestion, temperature control, and food absorption.
The Nutrition Foundation states that women should be drinking about 8 cups of water per day and men should have around 10. Keep in mind, not all of that has to be from plain tap water – you can also enjoy juicy fruits and veg, the occasional flavoured drink (try to steer clear of the sugar-filled ones), and even tea and coffee (the fluid in a cup offsets the mild diuretic effects of the caffeine).
Incorporate desk exercises to stay active
Sneaking in a bit of extra exercise each day isn’t always easy, but there are simple desk exercises you can do to give your body a burst of movement during the workday.
There are plenty of ways to move even while sitting down:
- Shoulder shrugs
- Twisting around in your seat
- Tilting your head forward and back
- Lifting one leg off the floor at a time
- Stretching your arms above your head
- And more
Healthy snacking
Every office worker knows the call of the 3pm treat. It’s almost impossible to ignore, and is often what you need to get through the last couple of hours at work.
And yet, sticking to healthier snacks could make a world of difference to your health over time. Prepping meals and snacks ahead of time can help you to avoid the unhealthy treats, as well as the inevitable post-treat regret.
Healthy lifestyle choices
Making healthy choices goes beyond your desk job, and it doesn’t only have positive consequences for your wellbeing.
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This article is an opinion only, provided for general information purposes and should not be relied upon as personal advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional before starting any fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs.
9 May 2025