Getting your behind in gear is great for your brain and your body. In fact, it can make you more productive too! In honor of Move More Month in April, we’ve collected a variety of ways to help give you ideas to move more.
Because unfortunately, your half-hour at the gym isn’t going to cut it if you then sit in front of the computer for 8 (or more) hours a day. Sitting is actually pretty bad for you, so the more moving around you do, the better.
Most of these tips work for your home office as well as your company office (if those two are different.) We’ve also included ideas for activities at home too.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get moving!
1. Alternate standing and sitting at work
Instead of sitting in a chair all day, get a sit-stand desk where you can do both. (Need help? If you’ve got a folding table, we’ve got a solution to help you convert it.) And if you have a home treadmill, you can tuck that under your standing desk and slowly walk while you work.
You’re likely to feel pretty terrible if you try standing all day the first few times you stand instead of sit! Work up slowly to avoid pains and cramps. You might start off doing more sitting than standing. As long as you’re alternating between the two, that’s OK.
Make sure that your monitor/keyboard/mouse setup is ergonomic whether you’re sitting or standing. Alternate putting your feet up on a footrest, so both legs get a break. Once you’re comfortable, try doing exercises like calf raises.
Standing is fatiguing even in comfy shoes if you do it for long periods of time. Anti-fatigue mats cushion your feet, letting you stand longer. Best to save the heels or other shoes more suited for sitting for the days you’re not planning to stand at the desk.
When you’re standing, a rigid posture won’t do you any favors. Do some stretching periodically, especially when your brain needs a little break. Try one of these three:
Core stretch
- Standing in front of your desk, put your right hand on the work surface
- Twist to the left and hold
- Switch sides
Chest stretch
- Stand with your back to the desk
- Reach both hands behind you and put your palms on the surface
- Stand up straight, pushing your chest forward, and hold
Back stretch
- Stand in front of the desk, feet together
- Put both palms on the surface
- Bend at the waist until your head is in line with your arms and hold
2. Walk and talk
Stand, walk, or stretch instead of sitting when you’re making calls. The added bonus to standing while you’re making a call is that your voice sounds better when you stand, and you often sound more confident. In addition to getting your butt off the chair! A handsfree headset can let you roam as much as you want.
Also, if you’re in the office, there’s no reason you have to pick up the phone or text someone if they’re also in the office. Just get out of your chair and walk over to them.
If you’ve been working at home and want to network a bit, instead of meeting at a restaurant or coffee shop, try going for a walk. Connecting+outdoors+exercise+networking: sure sounds like a great equation to us.
This also works if you’re back in your company’s space: rather than sitting around in the conference room, walk around the building.
You might be surprised at how much better everyone’s concentration is. Plus, you’ll be getting in some of the exercise that you need as well.
3. Stand while you work
Although there are certainly plenty of machines at the gym that allow you to sit, that doesn’t mean you have to sit while working out. And if you’re in a chair all day at work, you probably shouldn’t.
Choose machines or free weights that let you stand instead. Treadmill or elliptical/stair climber instead of bike for your cardio.
At home, too, you can easily stand with your free weights. If you can, get outside for your cardio so you can get all the benefits of nature too. If it’s hot where you live (*cough* Coachella Valley *cough*), go early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of relatively cooler temperatures.
When you get the table right for crafting, you can stand and work, which often makes things easier. (If you’ve got a folding table, we can help you lift it up to the right height so you’re not crouching over it to craft.)
4. Planes, trains, and road-trippin’
OK, you do need to stay in your seat while the seat belt light is on in the plane! But once it’s off, why not walk to the back and stand while you’re reading or watching a movie on your personal device?
Getting up periodically also helps you avoid blood clots in your legs, which have an unfortunate habit of traveling elsewhere and doing damage to your heart or lungs. You’re probably too tall to stand at your seat – but if not, try it! Get up and move around on the train too.
Road-tripping instead? Make sure you stop the car every couple of hours so you can get out and move. Jumping jacks, squats, and stretches can all help you get your move on even when you’re at a rest area or parking lot.
5. Waiting … waiting …
You don’t really have to “take a seat” when there’s room to stand at the doctor’s office, DMV, and other places. You can still scroll on your phone, listen to music, or read the magazines while you’re vertical.
Just stand in a corner or someplace out of the way to wait until your name is called. If your provider sends out a text message, you can leave the inside of the building and walk around.
6. Netflix and chill, just not in a seated position
You can do this on your phone while you’re on the bike (indoors!) or on the treadmill, if you don’t have a TV in your gym.
Or you can get some situps/leg lifts/pushups/other activities in while you’re streaming, instead of sitting on the sofa the whole time. Make the ads work for you by working out while they’re on.
Bonus trick: get in the habit of critiquing them while you move, especially if you have kids in the house, so they’re less susceptible to these messages.
Other ways to move (in addition to a brisk walk)
We’ve mostly been talking about walking during the day. But what if you don’t enjoy walking? It’s the easiest way to get started if you sit all the time right now, but you might want to expand your horizons. Or if you need to break up your activity and don’t want to do three walks a day.
In either case, consider the following activities. Some of these may require an entire half-hour window to make it worth your while. But others can be split up into ten-minute segments by themselves or to mix-and-match with the brisk walking so you don’t get bored.
7. Ballroom dancing
- Gardening
- Doubles tennis (or have you tried pickleball?)
- Water aerobics
- Bicycling
12. Do your own honey-dos
For those of us working from home, this tip works especially well! Rather than letting your robot vac do the work, sweep or vacuum or mop. Hang clothes to try instead of tossing them in the dryer.
Dust or find some other things to do around the house that will get your heart rate up in addition to getting it clean!
13. Find the best friends-and-family plan
Get outside with the kids (yes, even in the winter) and enjoy your time together. Kick or throw a ball around or start playing in the snow. Instead of letting your pooch out in the backyard, take them for a walk. Along with everyone else in the house.
Cats need playtime too – they like to chase and pounce. Some cats adapt to being walked on a leash if you start them early enough. Get out there with them if you can, and if you can’t, make sure they have regular indoor playtime!
If you’re used to doing most things while sitting, just standing up sometimes can make a huge difference to your health (and productivity). If you’ll be standing at a folding table, you need to lift up the surface to make sure you don’t hurt your back. Check out our store for the full line of folding table risers.
Lift Your TableⓇ… SAVE YOUR BACK!
