How to Keep From Being Sedentary at Work, Or When Working From Home
No matter where you work or run your business from, it’s very important to march to your own beat (figuratively and possibly even literally), when it comes to breaking up extended sitting throughout your workday. Many women worry about calling attention to themselves or being considered odd for working in some activity, but you have to do what works best for you and your health. Besides, perhaps the colleagues in-office or on Zoom have been secretly hoping they could try something they’d like to do to avoid being so sedentary during their day, but just didn’t have the courage to pull the trigger.
Drop the “All or Nothing” Mentality
Too many times I’ve seen busy professionals skip doing any movement because they couldn’t do their chosen activity for the duration they desired. Some 10-15 minute chunks of sustained activity like walking briskly that gets your heart rate up will also do the trick on a busy day.
If you can get outside for a few minutes, even better. Movement plus fresh air is an unbeatable combination to boost the body, mind and spirit–even in crisper weather. Those who are familiar with my fitness philosophy know that “something is always better than nothing” is one of my key mantras.
Be Mindful About Movement
Being mindful about making yourself move is also important. We can get so engrossed in our work, or schedule ourselves into a corner with back to back-to back-meetings, that we can lose track of just how much time has passed since we were up and about. If necessary, set a timer on your phone or prompt on your fitness tracker (where available), to remind yourself to get up at least hourly.
Defend Your Workday Movement Time
I’m also big on putting some defensive blocks on my calendar to allow some breathing room to move and avoid the back-to back-meeting problem where possible. Instead of automatically assuming you need an hour for a meeting, try 45 minutes or instead of a half hour, try 15 minutes, which leaves 15 for you to move, refocus and take care of follow-up. You can always flex your blocks as needed to support a colleague’s needs.
If you are stuck in a series of meetings, when your direct participation isn’t needed like in a Town Hall or webinar, see if you can be off camera which will free you up for some movement. Take the meeting/event with you on your phone and walk. You can also have a bit of fun like I do and hula hoop while watching and listening.
Now Take Action!
If you’d like to share how you’re being successful with getting more activity into your workday, feel free to email Coach Melanie and we’ll share your ideas in an upcoming post with other members of the Membrasin Community.
About Coach Melanie, NBC-HWC
Melanie Jordan is a Nationally Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) with 12+ years of coaching and corporate wellness program experience for digital health start-ups, top health insurers, and her own private practice Your Healthy Life Made Easy LLC. Melanie specializes in working holistically with business professionals to become as successful at healthfully losing weight for good and transforming their overall health as they are in their careers.
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