06 Feb Office Wars: Revenge of the sit!

Office Wars: Revenge of the sit!

A long time ago in an office far, far away the office chair was born. This began a dark time for the desk jockey race. Rigid, uncomfortable and most importantly unnatural, the office chair is something that has created numerous health issues to the modern day office worker. This strikes the question, how can we fight the dark side that is “Sitting Disease”?

Sitting for a prolonged period of time lowers your expenditure of energy and dislocates time spent working at a low level of physical activity. This can lead to weight gain over an extended period of time and therefore increased risk or life threating disease. On a positive note, it isn’t all doom and gloom as there are a mass of simple ‘office exercises’ out there that can help you rain victorious in the war against the office chair.

1. Change your sitting behavior.

In the mêlée between ‘Moving vs Stationary’ sitting, moving sitting has a profoundly more positive effect on your health than stationary sitting. In addition to this, it also improves mental clarity, mood, focus and enthusiasm levels. Encourage your boss or HR manager to ensure that your chair is right for you.

2. Walk while you talk

Some of us may see that certain college who marches up and down the office with a Bluetooth headset on, a frapahokiecokeychino and demanding that the order is shipped by Monday as an irritation. However, he will be the one gaining the most health benefits. Try taking your call as you walk, you don’t have to make a show and dance about it, this could help reduce stress and encourage a more creative mind-set.

3. GET OUT OF YOUR SEAT!

This one really does do what it says on the tin. Try getting out of your seat on more regular occasions, even if you do look like a whack-a-mole! Flexibility is a pinnacle part of staying healthy. Check out our free flexibility pack at www.annurca.com. Maybe you could carry some of these stretches out around the office.

4. Take 10 Minute exercise breaks.

Again, this is subjective to the individual, but any exercise is better than none at all. This could include exercises such as 100 stand ups or 50 wall squats.

5. Schedule ‘Standing Sessions’

Ditch the chair! Try standing rather than sitting for scheduled times within the day. Make sure that your scheduled goals are achievable; this is centred around improving your health, not putting it at danger because your legs are too weak to press the breaks on the way home!

Try these fun(ish) ways to improve your health whilst at work, who knows, they may go down a storm(trooper) and you could of started a health trend that sweeps the office! Or maybe you will be flying solo. Either way you will be making positive steps to improving your overall health and wellbeing.