Being fit is one of the best things you can do for your health but staying fit can be difficult when you are stuck inside working for most of the day. Science has shown that being physically active can help you function better as a human. It improves your brain health, reduces disease risk, helps manage weight, and even strengthens your bones and muscles.
All these benefits mean that it is essential that you make a conscious effort to stay active. Due to the nature of their jobs, most adults remain seated the entire day. Still, with minor changes to their everyday life, they can easily up their activity level, which will help them to make their health better.
Why Is It Important To Stay Fit?
Being physically fit has both long-term and short-term benefits. Here are some of the benefits that many people experience after they start looking after their physical health.
Weight Management
When you start exercising and eating healthier, your weight is greatly affected. Both physical activity and eating patterns play a huge role in your weight and can increase or decrease it. You gain weight by consuming more calories than you burn through physical activity. If you wish to lose weight, you must increase your physical activity and reduce the number of calories you eat.
Ensure that you are not undereating and fueling your body properly. Eating less for extended periods can cause your metabolic rate to lower.
Reduce Health Risks
When you are physically fit, you also reduce your chances of health risks, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and more. Strokes are one of the leading causes of death, but you can reduce your risk by getting around 150 minutes of activity per week. Regular exercise can also improve your cholesterol levels and lower your blood pressure.
Exercise also reduces the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. You can reap these benefits even if you exercise less than 150 minutes, but the more you exercise and raise your heartbeat, the lower your risks are.
Those who are fit are also at a lower risk of developing several common cancers. These include bladder, breast, colon, kidney, lung, endometrium, and stomach cancer. If you are a cancer survivor, physical activity can help improve your quality of life.
Strengthen Your Bones and Muscles
It is extremely important to ensure that your bones remain healthy, and the best way to do so is to keep them moving. Exercises that help strengthen your muscles, like lifting weights, help increase your muscle mass. This, in turn, helps build strength that can help protect your bones.
Keeping good care of your bones can help you in old age, as in that period, you start losing muscle mass, making your bones much more vulnerable.
Increases Chances of Living a Long Life
Research shows that those who engage in physical activities are less likely to suffer from a stroke and live long lives. The best way to increase your chances of living a long life is to increase the number of steps you take. It is recommended that you take around 8000 to 10000 steps a day. Doctors also suggest that your activity should be moderate to vigorous.
Improves Your Ability To Engage in Daily Activities
Physical exercise helps build up your strength, so you can engage in everyday activities easily. Suppose you cannot do daily activities such as climbing stairs or shopping without feeling tired. In that case, you are suffering from functional limitations. Those who are physically active have a much lower chance of developing functional limitations when they are middle-aged or older than those who are inactive.
Additionally, physical activity also decreases the risk of getting an injury from a fall. This is because physical training helps strengthen your muscles and improve your balance.
Tips To Stay Fit When Working
When working, it can be difficult to remain physically active when you are stuck in a home office desk chair. It can also easily slip your mind, which is why it is extremely important that you build a routine. This routine should include specific actions that will help keep you healthy and boost your activity while you work. Here are a few things that you can include throughout your workday to stay healthy.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is one of the easiest ways to stay hydrated. Water makes up 70% of your body and is an essential fluid. It is known to help stabilize your metabolism and curb your food craving. This means you get less hungry, which allows you to lose weight much easier. Water can also help improve concentration a lot better than a shot of coffee. If you cannot drink plain water, you can always add lemons or limes, as they help enhance the flavor.
Most people simply don’t remember to drink water, which is why many apps are available online that help track your water intake. You can also buy bottles with reminders on them to ensure you drink plenty throughout the day.
Get Exercising Gear for Your Office
If you find going to the gym difficult or don’t have the time, you can get some gear for your home office and turn it into a mini-gym. Having exercising gear nearby makes it extremely easy to work out, and you have no excuse not to. Many exercising machines are designed especially for your office. They allow you to work out as you work on other tasks.
Regulate Your Mealtimes
Regulating your mealtimes and having a set time that you rarely deviate from is the best way to maintain your metabolism. Having a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner prevent you from mindlessly munching on snacks. Snacking on high-sugar foods is known to cause sugar spikes, which can disrupt your metabolic rate and insulin levels.
Another way to prevent mindless snacking is to remove candy and snacks from your office drawers. Replace them with sugar-free gum or mints. If you must snack, choose crunchy and low-calorie snacks like celery and carrots.
Remember To Stretch During Your Breaks
If you tend to sit in the same position for extended periods, you may get stiff, which is why it is imperative that you stretch during your breaks. There is plenty of light stretching, and easy yoga poses that you can do when you are taking a break. Sitting at a desk can cause your mobility and flexibility to suffer, which is why stretching out your muscles multiple times a day is extremely helpful. It also increases your life expectancy, and you will feel better after doing it.
Schedule Regular Exercise
Exercise is perhaps the best way to get fit. It has physical and psychological benefits and can help you live longer. If you do not get time to work out during the day, it is essential that you set some time aside in the morning, during your lunch break, or at night to get a session in. It does not even have to be very intense. You can take a brisk walk around the block or pace during calls to get your steps in.
Set Up Your Office To Be Ergonomic
When setting up your home office, ensure that you have an ergonomic setup. Your home office chair plays a critical role because that is where you spend most of your time. Ensure that your chair allows your hips and knees to be at 90 degrees or over. This position helps you maintain the best posture as you work. You can also add a desk seat cushion to make your chair more comfortable.
Additionally, your computer monitor should also be an arm’s length away, and the top of the monitor should be at or below your eye level.
Exercises You Can Do From Your Desk
If your job requires you to stay at your desk all day long, there are still a few exercises that you can do. Here are a few examples.
| Exercise | How To Do It |
| Chair Dips | This exercise can be done by sitting in a chair with your hands placed at the edge of the seat. Then lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Keeping your back close to the chair and engaging your core is vital. This exercise is excellent for your triceps and core. |
| Desk Push Ups | To do desk pushups, start in a pushup position with your hands at the edge of your desk. Then lower yourself till your chest touches your desk. This exercise is great for your core, arms, shoulder, and chest. |
| Wall Sits | To do wall sits, stand with your back against a wall and then lower yourself until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. This exercise is great for your glutes and quads. |
| Seated Russian Twists | To do seated Russian twists, sit in a chair with your feet on the ground and your hands firmly against your knees. Then you twist your torso to one side and then the next. This exercise helps train your core and obliques. |
| Calf Raises | Calf raises are the best exercise that can help build great calves. To do this exercise, stand with your feet at the edge of your desk and raise your toes and hold for a few seconds. Remember to keep your core engaged and your body in a straight line. |
Equipment for Your Office That Can Help Keep You Fit
If you work from home or even in an office, it is easy to keep yourself active if you have the right equipment. Here are some popular equipment gear that can help you stay active even when you are stuck at your desk for most of the day.
Standing Desk
For some, it can be challenging to focus on their work while exercising, which is why standing desks are a perfect solution. They can help you get fit passively. You can burn calories and get your work done simultaneously without even knowing.
Some standing desks are also motorized, meaning you can adjust them using buttons to lower them into a regular sitting desk. You can also raise up to become a standing desk. These are useful in modifying your setup and allowing you to use it in various ways. A standing desk will also improve your posture, making it an excellent alternative to your current setup.
Desk Treadmill
Treadmills are a popular way to get your steps in for a day. A treadmill is one of the most manageable pieces of equipment to work, and it can help get you into shape without you even noticing. Desk treadmills are often used alongside standing desks as you can place them under them and walk instead of standing in one place. This piece of equipment is perfect for losing weight as you are constantly moving around and not staying still. Additionally, it allows you to complete the recommended goal of 8000 to 10000 steps a day without cutting into your work time.
Desk Bike
A desk bike is perfect for those who want to blow off steam while they are at work. Some people are fidgety and have too much energy, making it hard to stay in one place. A desk bike allows you to spend that energy so that you can return to your normal state.
These bikes are also a perfect way to do some cardio without taking time off work or spending your free time doing it. Desk bikes can also replace your desk chairs, and you can work out as you work on your desks. If you already have a proper exercise bike, you can set up your laptop in front of it using a standing desk.
Under-Desk Bike Pedal Exercisers
If the idea of working out at your desk seems too intense and you want something a bit more discreet, an under-desk bike pedal exerciser will be perfect for you. It is a portable foot exerciser that you can use to keep your legs active as you work. You can also use it to work out your upper body by using your hand to turn the pedal instead of your feet.
Under-desk bike pedals are much more budget-friendly and don’t take up a lot of space, either.
Under-Desk Elliptical
An under-desk elliptical is designed to be a more accessible version of an under-desk bike pedal exerciser. If you have long legs, an elliptical will be much more convenient. You won’t have to deal with your legs banging against the top of your desk. Additionally, can keep these under your desk, making it an inconspicuous piece of equipment to keep you fit.
Ensure that you choose one that has multiple levels of resistance and is compact so you can easily store it under your desk.
Ankle Weights and Wrist Weights
Wrist and ankle weights are the perfect way to burn extra calories as you work. If you have these on and do simple exercises like leg extensions, they will have a huge effect and help you tone up much more quickly than if you weren’t wearing them. Additionally, they are hands-free and adjustable, which makes them perfect for when you are working. These bands are also adjustable and easy to remove, meaning that when you work on something important, you can remove them with one hand and continue your work.
FAQs
How can I stay fit if I work a desk job?
If you have a desk job, ensure that you have a meal and exercise schedule you follow. You should also find a way to sneak in extra movement throughout the day, such as pacing while you talk on the phone, getting a standing desk, etc. You can also invest in office workout gear that you can use while seated at your desk.
How often should your work out?
Most people work long hours, making it challenging to take time to work out. Ideally, it would be best if you aimed to get in 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. It is best to exercise every day, but if your schedule does not allow it, even 150 minutes a week can make a huge difference.
What are the different kinds of under-desk exercisers?
Under-desk exercisers are an excellent purchase if you want to stay fit while you work. Under-desk ellipticals, treadmills, and peddlers are all useful in helping you get your cardio in.
Conclusion
Staying fit should be a priority despite where you work because it can significantly improve your quality of life and increase your lifespan. There are many ways that you can incorporate small movements into your day from the comfort of your desk that can help you build muscle and get stronger. Office exercise gear is an excellent way to get your body moving to achieve your health and fitness goals.