{"id":4988,"date":"2023-04-07T14:13:47","date_gmt":"2023-04-07T14:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/?p=4988"},"modified":"2024-01-26T23:20:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T23:20:36","slug":"lunges-for-lunch-8-ways-to-be-less-sedentary-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/lunges-for-lunch-8-ways-to-be-less-sedentary-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Lunges for lunch: 8 ways to be less sedentary at work"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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APRIL 7, 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u25a0\u00a0\u00a05 MIN READ<\/span><\/div>

Lunges for lunch: 8 ways to be less sedentary at work<\/h1>
By\u00a0Tony Case<\/a><\/div><\/header>
\u00a0<\/div>

The return to the office doesn\u2019t have to mean a return to bad habits \u2014 like sitting behind a desk all day, which, as has been amply\u00a0reported<\/a>, is terrible for you.<\/p>

Office workers spend two-thirds of their 9-to-5 in the sitting position, according to one\u00a0study<\/a>, which can lead to a whole range of ailments, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death.<\/p>

Ready to do something about it? We spoke to a few well-being experts about the best ways \u2014\u00a0whether you\u2019re back at the office or working remotely \u2014\u00a0of moving more throughout the day, improving your health and mindset along the way.<\/p>

Hit the road<\/strong><\/h2>

Leave a little more space for the other straphangers and consider walking or biking to work instead of using public transportation, suggested Michael Hamlin, a personal trainer and founder of Everflex Fitness in Calgary. Starting your day with exercise and fresh air can set the tone for an otherwise static workday. And just because you drive to work doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t commit to moving more. \u201cI always tell people that even if they live too far away to walk, they can drive part way and walk the rest,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cNot only does this increase your step count for the day, but the sunshine can help regulate your circadian rhythm.\u201d<\/p>

Get twisted<\/h2>

Being deskbound also doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t move more. Penny Weston, a U.K.-based fitness and nutrition expert who specializes in corporate wellness, suggests any number of easy exercises one can do while sitting at a desk, including sitting twists, shoulder blade squeezes and chin tucks. You can even stand up and do some light exercise like jumping jacks, pushups or squats, advised John Gardner, a personal trainer in New York and cofounder and CEO of personal training platform called Kickoff. \u201cJust think about it: five minutes of trigger workouts four times a day is already 20 minutes of exercise,\u201d he said.<\/p>

Lunges for lunch<\/strong><\/h2>

If a proper lunchtime workout is part of your workday routine, make sure to plan ahead: pack your gear and wear clothes to work that are easy to change into and out of, shared U.K.-based personal trainer Janice Hutton. Also, schedule your workout on your calendar in the same way you would a business meeting. \u201cTreat it like an important commitment, and indeed it is \u2014 you are your most important commitment,\u201d she said. And crucially, stick to it. \u201cCommit to exercising during your lunch break, no matter how limited your time is,\u201d she said.<\/p>

Crunch club<\/strong><\/h2>

Misery may love company, but so does wellness. Keep the motivation to move more by getting your coworkers involved. \u201cStart a movement in your office, get people excited and hold one another accountable to move your body,\u201d said Lalitha McSorley, a physical therapist and owner of Brentwood Physiotherapy in Calgary. Many workplaces offer formalized fitness challenges or wellness programs, Hamlin pointed out. \u201cJoining a challenge can help motivate you to stay active and can also be a fun way to connect with colleagues,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you have others spurring you on, you are more likely to stay active in the office setting.\u201d<\/p>

Break out<\/strong><\/h2>

One of the more obvious ways to keep from being sedentary is to simply get up from behind that desk and move about every half hour or so. Hamlin recommends setting an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to take a break and walk around the office, head out for a coffee run, or whatever. Taking breaks can improve your cardiovascular health and boost your energy, Hamlin pointed out. And it\u2019s not just good for your body. Those time-outs can also prevent fatigue by giving your brain a breather, lifting your mood and motivation, noted Krystal L. Culler, founder and creative director of Virtual Brain Health Center in Cleveland.<\/p>

Take a stand<\/strong><\/h2>

The standing workstation is another way to keep from becoming a desk potato. McSorley is a big fan of the trend, noting that standing desks can help improve posture, increase blood flow and burn more calories versus sitting. Gardner suggested going one further and getting an under-desk cycle or treadmill. And if you think a light stroll while working at your standing desk can\u2019t do much, think again. \u201cSlow walking increases your circulation and helps your muscles from getting stiff. Walking on a desk treadmill also gives you a posture change so that you\u2019re standing instead of sitting all day,\u201d as physical therapist Dave Candy recently\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0Well + Good.<\/p>

Walkie talkie<\/strong><\/h2>

One-on-ones with colleagues don\u2019t have to happen in a conference room \u2014 take a lap down the block while you do it. As one\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found, doing so can increase employee well-being, innovation and productivity. It also boosts creativity, mood and an employee\u2019s sense of support, noted Stephanie Harrison, a well-being expert and founder and CEO of The New Happy. \u201cIt opens up possibilities for greater connection and collaboration,\u201d she said. Alexis Haselberger, a professional coach in San Francisco, added, \u201cWhen you\u2019re in a one-on-one or in listening mode versus presenting mode, take a walk and join the meeting from your phone.\u201d<\/p>

Follow the leader<\/strong><\/h2>

Finally, employees are\u00a0much more likely to move more at work if they see that behavior being modeled by not only their peers but also their bosses, said Oceanside, California-based health and wellness coach Stephanie Averkamp. Employees \u201cwant to know it\u2019s OK to take time for movement,\u201d she said. An employer, she added, might even consider scheduling \u201cMovement Minutes,\u201d where a group meeting kicks off by encouraging participants to move about however they feel for 60 seconds before getting down to business. \u201cIf you encourage movement at work, let your employees know, and let them see you leading by example.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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  APRIL 7, 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u25a0\u00a0\u00a05 MIN READ Lunges for lunch: 8 ways to be less sedentary at work By\u00a0Tony Case The return to the office doesn\u2019t have to mean a return to bad habits \u2014 like sitting behind a desk all day, which, as has been amply\u00a0reported, is terrible for you. Office workers spend two-thirds of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fitness.webp","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8156,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4988\/revisions\/8156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}