Step away from your desk to preserve your health, after you read this post of course!
Stephanie Shenouda
| 2 min read
Our social media community manager walking while working
An avalanche of e-mails, meetings, and projects doesn’t just mean another day at the office, but that you’re going to be parked at your desk for a long time, with relatively opportunities for relief. While productivity is encouraged in most, if not all workplaces, sitting for long periods of time can pose problems for your health.
According to an article by MHealthy, the University of Michigan’s health and wellness blog, research supports that sitting stagnant for lengths of time, like most do at the office, can lead to a wide range of health problems such as diabetes, obesity, heart attack and even cancer.
They suggest the 60/3 method, where for every hour you work at a desk, you move around for three consecutive minutes. Suggestions include basics like stretching at your desk, walking around the office, or rolling your chair in place, as well as ways to incorporate movement into your work regime, such as going to the printer more often, or walking to talk to colleagues instead of e-mailing them. All it takes is three minutes of movement to decrease your chances of encountering these severe health risks, and eventually they will become second nature.
Experts believe the only roadblock in this guerrilla health strategy is going to be keeping track of time, which can be circumvented by setting an alarm on your phone or an alert on your computer.
While it’s unlikely your boss will even notice an extra trip to the copier or quick jaunt up the stairs, what employer wouldn’t approve of something that would improve their worker’s long-term health? Three minutes is less time than it takes to secretly check Facebook or your favorite blog site in between assignments (you know what I’m talking about). Over time these small steps will become great strides towards improving your health.
Photo credit: A Healthier Michigan
