Desk-bound and want to stay fit and healthy? Don’t despair.
There are simple ways to keep your mind and body in top shape, even if you are stuck at your desk day-in, day-out.
Studies show sedentary working habits, such as sitting and staring at a screen for eight hours a day, lead to chronic health issues later in life. And it’s no wonder – hours spent slouching and sagging at the desk make for an unhappy worker.
Standing at your desk can reduce mortality risk. Photo: Lee Besford
Here are five easy ways desk jockeys can stay on the job while simultaneously taking care of their mind and body:
1. App’s the way you do it
The app store offers a plethora of health and exercise apps to choose from. Dr Peter Cotton, clinical and organisational psychologist, says these help drag your mind away from work when you most need it.
Ditch the boardroom and hit the footpath for a walking meeting.
“There are a number of apps in the mental health space which trigger prompts to practise certain activities or engage in mindfulness,” he says.
If stress management and resilience building is what you’re after, try the Smiling Mind app. The program is free and can be tailored for the corporate environment.
For more active inspiration, try Pact or Keas. Pact is an app that encourages you to commit to exercise and eating goals with cash incentives. Meeting your goals earns you rewards from Pact members who didn’t meet theirs.
Eating at your desk can increase chances of obesity.
Keas is a social health and wellness game, offering quizzes, weekly goal motivations and challenges. It’s also a source of nutrition and fitness information aimed at increasing employee productivity.
2. Get up, stand up
With countless studies showing long hours spent sitting at a desk can cause everything from obesity to poor mental health, the standing desk movement is gathering new followers every day.
If your computer isn’t at eye level, it’s in the wrong position. Photo: istock photos
According to the British Psychological Society, the average office worker spends five hours and 41 minutes sitting at their desk.
Increasing physical inactivity levels have been leading to chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, health experts at a Sports Medicine Australia conference were told last month.
The good news is these risks can be conquered with light physical activity including standing and walking. Replacing each hour of daily sitting with equal amounts of standing is linked to a substantial reduction in mortality risk of up to 5 per cent an hour, according to Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, of the University of Sydney.
3. Ideas on the move
Got an idea you need to discuss with a team member? Ditch the boardroom and hit the footpath.
Australian Physiotherapy Association national president Marcus Dripps says walking meetings are a healthy way of getting active and staying productive.
“I love walking meetings, I think they’re a really good idea,” he says.
“A lot of studies into sustained attention show people can only perform for 45 to 60 minutes and after that, we’re far more effective if we get up, walk about and reapply ourselves.
“Arrange your meetings while on the move and scatter them throughout the day.”
If your meeting’s by teleconference, get up and move around while on the call to help increase your calorie burn.
4. Ban desk eating
It’s all too easy to munch your lunch at your desk while continuing to work.
More than 3.8 million Australians skip lunch because they are “too busy”, a survey by the Australian Institute and beyondblue found last year.
Nutritionist Susie Burrell says eating at the desk is a sure way to increase your chances of obesity.
“Refuse to eat at your desk, mindless munching in front a computer is a recipe for disaster when it comes to overeating,” she says.
“And ensure you take your entire lunch break to get your activity steps up.”
5. Get a raise
Some basic adjustments of your office furniture can make a huge improvement to your health.
If your computer isn’t at eye level, it’s in the wrong position. Have it lifted so that your posture isn’t suffering. Your neck, back and head will thank you.
Your posture can also benefit by shifting the height of your chair, says Dripps.
“Every half hour, adjust the height of your chair or angle of the chair to the keyboard,” he says.
“By doing this, you’re putting the load on different muscles and changing your posture.”