Sedentary v Sporty

I have a largely sedentary job. I work in a branch of a small group of six travel agencies which, by necessity, involves some lengthy periods of sitting at my desk and I really don't like sitting for long periods of time; well, even short periods of time.

I do have a comfortable chair and I do move my screen directly in front of me, but I tend to cross my legs at the ankle with my legs tucked under my chair, meaning when I do get up, my knees feel stiff and achey. I can't think this is a good thing. I try to plant my feet squarely on the floor, keeping my legs at a right angle to my body, but turning the screen, leaning forward, writing notes, flipping brochure pages and juggling files and a keyboard on the desk is, I'm sure, ultimately bad for my posture. Let's not even talk about tucking the phone between ear and shoulder whilst writing or typing...

To this end, I like to get up and move about at every opportunity; ‘ants in your pants', 'whirling dervish' and 'you've got too much energy' have all been levelled at me over the years by my poor, exasperated colleagues. I have been known to stretch and lunge in the back office, much to their consternation and amusement sometimes. Dealing with brochures however, (yes, we do still have them) is a great workout and a job I relish. The packs are heavy, so it's a lot of lifting, shifting and moving about as the office is sizeable and I feel I've done at least a modicum of exercise during the day once I’ve finished.

I did once record the distance I walked at work on my phone - just moving about the office, sorting out the brochures, walking to the local bakery for a sandwich and to and from the car all amounted to just over 2 miles, which really surprised me.

The NHS advocates we all do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. That's a little over 20 minutes a day. 

20 minutes! 

So, how can you improve your sedentary working day and inject some exercise into your daily routine?

If you take public transport, perhaps get off the bus or tube a stop or two earlier and walk a little further.  Ask a relative/colleague/friend/car share to drop you somewhere slightly different in the morning. Cycle or walk for a change if you can and perhaps take a longer route if possible. I had a colleague once who always drove the mile to work....

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Just move about the office more. Try to get up every quarter of an hour or so, even if it's just to stand at your desk and stretch (surreptitiously of course - I don't advocate doing this in full view of customers/clients). Try standing up when you answer the phone.

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Deskercise. There are lots of stretches for back, neck, shoulders and legs that can be done whilst sitting at your desk that your colleagues may not even realise you’re doing, for example rolling your shoulders or moving your lower legs.

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Develop a habit. Start going out at the same time each day, or stretching at your desk every hour, so it becomes second nature. You could even go to the gym or for a run at lunchtime. Take the dog out before or after work, exercise with a colleague every Tuesday.

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Volunteer to walk to the post office/get the milk/take the rubbish out/buy coffee. Even five minutes will clear your head and stimulate your system. Walk more quickly than usual to get your heart rate up.

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Log your daily walking, running, swimming or cycling on Fitbit, Garmin, Strava, Map My Walk/Run or Viewranger (among others). There are lots of virtual challenges out there too, some with certificates, badges or medals for completing certain distances and it's fun to log your mileage and see progress. Bro and I have done 5 challenges this year so far between us and we're really competitive with each other, so it's a great motivator.

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We don't have a cleaner at work and I am a real Monica, so I usually do all the cleaning - wiping the desks, cleaning the kitchen, the shelves, hoovering, hauling the heavy bins in and out are all good, simple ways to keep moving. 

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Try to go out at lunchtime. I know this isn't always possible for everyone and I'm guilty of never really taking a proper lunch break, but I do like to get out and do the 'circuit' - a little half mile route I devised from the office, down to the river and back which only takes 10 minutes or so. Your brain and eyes do need a little time to re-charge and rest and it's a relief to get away from ringing phones, pinging texts, endless emails and frankly, the sound of my own voice sometimes, to destress and take a few lungfuls of fresh air so you can face the afternoon refreshed. Especially invigorating in winter I find, when heaters and heating in the office can leave you feeling dry and headachy.

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Always take the stairs.

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20 minutes a day!

Obviously where I’d like to be each day….