Staying Fit Guide for Desk Jockeys

You understand the importance of staying fit and healthy, but you’re stuck behind a desk for eight hours a day (or, if you’re really lucky, you might be sitting at that desk for 10 or 12 hours a day). You want to eat healthy, but when you’re stuck at work and hunger strikes, your options consist of the vending machines or the nearest fast food restaurant.

Where can you possibly find the time to get a workout in, let alone drive to the gym, change, and shower? Good news: You’re not destined for poor health. These tricks will help you eat healthy and stay fit on a busy schedule, even when you’re stuck behind your desk five days a week.

Take Regular Breaks

It’s good for both your body and mind to get up periodically throughout the day and walk around the office for a few minutes. Doing so will help to increase your blood flow and help to boost your energy levels. Work for 30 minutes or an hour, then take a five-minute break. If you tend to get engrossed in your work, set an alarm so that you don’t miss a break. These breaks will help clear your mind so that you can better focus on the tasks at hand.

Bring Healthy Snacks to Work

Vending machines don’t often have the healthiest snack options. Yes, packing healthy snacks takes time, but if you prep a week’s worth of snacks on the weekend, it’s as easy as grab-and-go during the busy work week. Long days at the office can lead to the urge to snack, and ensuring access to healthy, nutrient-rich options will keep your hunger satisfied and your spare tire at bay.

Scrap the Diet Soda

If you need caffeine to stay alert during the day, avoid drinking diet sodas and sugary beverages. These types of drinks can contribute to weight gain around the waist area. Consuming foods and beverages high in sugars and “empty carbs” can also increase your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, as well as the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

You should also drink plenty of water throughout the day. In fact, some say that a tall glass of ice-cold water can make you feel more energized and alert. Plus, water can reduce the urge to snack when you’re not really hungry.

Join a Fitness Challenge Group

With more companies becoming aware of the benefits of healthy employees, there’s been an uptick in the number of company wellness programs. Find out if your office has a fitness challenge group or walking club. If not, talk to your HR department about setting up a company wellness initiative. These groups may take walks during their lunch breaks or compete in a weight loss challenge to see who can shed the most pounds.

In some companies, wellness programs go a step further and set up each employee with a personal wellness coach who offers tips and resources for living a healthier lifestyle. These programs encourage employees to get regular health screenings, eat a healthy diet appropriate for any underlying health conditions such as high cholesterol, and more.

Always Opt for the More Physically Demanding Option

Stairs or elevator? The parking space next to the door or across the parking lot? Opting for the more physically demanding option in these simple, everyday tasks can actually make a big difference in your overall fitness level. Simply taking the stairs every day could mean you’re taking thousands more steps every week than if you had taken the elevator.

If you live close enough to your office, think about walking or biking to work on nice days. If you’re really ambitious about making your desk-job lifestyle more physically challenging, get a treadmill desk or bring some weights from your home gym and get your workout in while you work.

Staying fit as a desk jockey may seem challenging when you’re always strapped for time, but the truth is that making simple lifestyle changes and making choices with your wellness goals in mind can have a drastic impact on your health. It’s hard to get in the mood to workout after being sedentary at the office all day, but when you start implementing simple lifestyle changes, you might just find the motivation to get up earlier to get a solid workout in before you start your day.

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