There are a lot of jobs out there that are awesome and make you reach for your goals, professionally. No matter what course of training/education we took, we spent many hours working hard to strive for a good job and life.
So what’s the downfall? Well, many times those jobs are desk jobs that are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. There is nothing wrong with having a desk job with a consistent weekly schedule, other than the majority of your day is spent sitting. The only parts of your body getting exercise are your fingers from typing, and your brain from making sure you are getting your work done.
Oftentimes work is very demanding and we end up stress eating. We can’t say no to those donuts in the breakroom, and before you know it, you are mindlessly eating your third donut of the day and washing it down with some Diet Coke.
Yikes.
It is something we all struggle with in the office. We don’t realize it until we feel an extra roll on our stomachs when we sit down that wasn’t there before.
How do we stop the madness?!
A good starting point is thinking ahead and being mindful of what we are eating, drinking, and how much we are moving.
EAT YOUR BREAKFAST. PACK YOUR LUNCH.
Those breakroom donuts don’t sound all that intriguing if you come into the office with a full stomach. Get up 30 minutes earlier and plan a breakfast. Something with protein like eggs, a protein shake, or a yogurt. Make a yogurt parfait with your favorite fruits and granola to keep you energized and focused.
Now you have breakfast down. What are you doing for lunch? If you don’t pack your lunch and you live further than 5 minutes away from the office, then you will have no choice but to go out to eat. This is probably not going to be the healthiest option and it also gets expensive. When you’re cooking dinner, make enough for leftovers so you can bring your home-cooked meal to the office (which is always better than eating a Big Mac from down the street). Wash down your lunch with water instead of pop. These little adjustments can make a big change in how you feel and how it affects your body.
One idea to keep everyone else in the office healthy(ier), is instead of bringing comfort food like brownies, cookies, and donuts, switch it up and bring in a fruit platter and/or a veggie tray. After eating those sugary sweets for so long, people will see fruits and veggies as a refreshing snack that will make them feel better after eating it.
Now for the lack of movement.
Most offices have multiple stories, which means there are elevators and stairs. TAKE THOSE STAIRS! Take those stairs as often as you can. First thing in the morning, heading to a meeting, getting lunch (If you didn’t pack), leaving work for the day. Heck, if you finish your lunch early, go take the stairs several times just to get a nice workout in.
Ever heard of standing desks? They exist! Changing from sitting to standing burns calories because it uses energy. It gets your blood flow going so you will not have to worry about blood clots. Don’t worry, if you don’t want to stand the entire day, you can adjust your desk so you can go back to sitting.
Find every excuse you can to get up from your desk. Make a trip to the water jug, to the break room (stay away from those donuts though!), the restroom, or even clean your office. Stand up and stretch throughout the day to help with circulation and stiff joints.
If you want to really push yourself to be more active in the office, do squats every time you use the restroom or go to the break room. Try to do 100 squats a day! Break it up to 10 at a time and by the time your 8 hour shift is over, you will have made your goal.
Having a desk job doesn’t mean you have to give up being healthy, you just have to be more creative!
