5 quick ways to boost your physical activity at work

Boosting physical activity at work…it’s been a big topic for a while now. According to an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report published just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in two adults are not meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines for maintaining good health (i.e., 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise a week) and sedentary work behaviours have been a big contributor.

Whilst sports watch manufacturers like Garmin suggest the need to work-from-home increased physical activity levels for some people, we can’t conclude much from that. Why? First, many watch wearers are already habitually active. Second, not everyone owns a sport watch! As such, their data samples don’t reflect what’s really happening.

Before working out how to boost physical activity at work, we first need to clarify the place where ‘work’ takes place. As a result of the pandemic, this could either be in an office, a co-working space, a café, and/or at home. Whilst these different workplaces can present some challenges, none are insurmountable. We just need to think creatively.  Clearly not all the following ideas will work for everyone, but here are some thought starters:

Quick booster #1 – Use active transport

If you’re transitioning to hybrid work arrangements, and having time back in the office, why not give active transport a try? When you consider that walking or cycling all – or part – of your work commute has been found to satisfy minimum physical activity requirements, it’s a great option. If you’re open to cycling, check on available facilities and bike paths. If you normally take the train or bus, get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Pick the nicest parts of the commute and it could be a great way to start or end the day.

Quick booster #2 – A ceremonial commute

Whilst the flexibility of working from home can be great, it requires a little discipline. If you’re wanting to build in some healthier habits, try a ceremonial commute. This is a simple ritual for priming yourself before work – a 10-15 minute walk or a light jog – something to get the blood flowing and produce the amount of incidental activity you’d get if you were heading to the office.

Quick booster #3 – Perch and work

At this point no one would be surprised if I said, ‘get yourself a standing desk because sitting is the new smoking’. However, that would be very lazy of me. Whilst public health experts have shown that sitting is not as bad as smoking, it is also true that sitting is not all bad. As evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman points out, human beings evolved to both move AND to sit (or squat)…because that was important for conserving energy.

The problem now is inactive sitting. Modern chairs support us in ways that require little effort. My advice? If you get a standing desk, also get a stool that pivots slightly at the base and requires your trunk and legs to work while you perch. From personal experience I can tell you it’s a nice way to work and prevents that crumpled feeling at the end of the day.

Quick booster #4 – Commit to incidental activity

Whilst I’ve left this option to number 4, it should probably be top of the list. Want to know what’s easiest and quickest? Look no further than increasing how much physical activity you do as part of daily living. Just do it. Monitor your step count if it helps but do the simple stuff…take the stairs not the lift, walk to your next meeting, or – if you’re at home – get yourself out of the house for coffee.

Quick booster #5 – Get busy with your breaks

I’m constantly amazed how easily physical activity gets kicked to the curb. Sure, I get it…people get busy, they get stressed, they get absorbed in their work. When that happens it’s easier – and preferable – to keep going, through morning tea and then lunch, with the bare minimum of self-interruption, just a 70-step excursion down the hall for a bio-break or two.

Breaks hold the potential for all sorts of valuable rest and recovery, most especially when we move, and most particularly when we move in natural environments. Psychologists have long known that physical activity and encounters with nature restore human performance in important ways – improving working memory, flexible thinking, even providing moments of insight. As such, when we’re working – whether at home or in the office – getting busy with our breaks is an investment that can bring great returns!

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