Sitting is the New Smoking: How to Keep Moving While at Work

After the initial shock of the pandemic wore off and you settled into the “new normal” of being able to work from home, you probably became aware of all of the other things you could do now that you weren’t commuting into an office. What a windfall of time! You could finally squeeze in a couple of squats, lunges, and crunches in between your daily tasks.

But the reality was you were invited to a virtual “quick huddle”, “team meeting”, “coffee chat” one after another.  Ping after ping after ping.

You realize now why they say time is gold.  Because you probably don’t have much of either, even when solely doing remote work. Now your hips and back feel sore from sitting for hours on end, and your neck and shoulders could surely use a little mobility. 

Sitting is the new smoking, and you have to do something before all this inactivity could weigh heavily on your health and work-life balance. But between your workload and your other responsibilities, how do you find the time to meet your work targets and still hit your fitness goals? Check out our tips on how to be more active at work.

Fidget with your digits 

For a remote worker, a body part that you could spend premium insurance on are the fingers. After all, keyboard athletes depend a lot on the nimble flexibility of their digits to write up reports on the fly and prevent disasters by quickly clicking on the recall button to retrieve erroneous emails.

Finger exercises can keep you from getting sore muscles, stiff and painful tendons, and nerve injuries that could even lead to Carpal tunnel syndrome. So give your fingers some TLC with some stretching and squeezing. Don’t forget to make it wristy, “heelful,” and toe-inclusive too!

When taking audio-only meetings, Spot, an online meeting tool for walkers, can give your fingers a rest with our hands-free features. Transcriptions automatically enable when the call begins and are available for review after the meeting ends. No note taking or typing required. 

Tomorrow, do a Pomodoro

Or maybe right now would be an even better time to hitch on to the Pomodoro craze? The Pomodoro, while first pushed as a productivity technique, can also jumpstart your fitness goals. It is essentially a time-management method where you work undistracted for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, then keep repeating the 25-5 minute chunks until the job gets done. What can you do during those five-minute intermissions? A lot! You can do several rounds of jumping jacks or squats to get your heart rate up.. Feeling tight? Stretch it out with neck rotations, wall push-ups, or reverse lunges. There are so many beginner-friendly moves, even for the more risk-averse. The key is to take baby steps so you don’t overwhelm yourself. We’re going for progress here, not perfection (that can come much later).

Redefine when you’re offline 

When you’re not in meetings, take advantage of the opportunity to incorporate exercise (and fun) into your routine, even while at your desk. Get into the groove with a chill playlist for some seriously cool moves for a great lower body workout. Enjoy your jam and get some muscle definition going with seated leg lifts, calf raises, and ankle rotations. 

You don’t have to be Superman to get buns of steel. Hold and release for ten seconds to clench your way to the top of your fitness game. Regularly work a few sets of eight reps, and you will soon see the positive effects. You can burn fat and cellulite, protect your back from injuries, strengthen your glutes, and improve overall health. With many fun exercise routines to choose from, make sure no body part gets left behind. 

Don’t plateau, be on the go.  

Suggest audio-only calls whenever possible to avoid unnecessary screen time. Keep video meetings to a minimum by using email or audible checkpoints instead. Not only will this require less prep work (think desk decluttering, light adjustments, video background checks, etc.), but also be better for your exhausted and dried-out peepers. 

Some meetings do require visuals, such as product presentations and board conferences, but for routine alignments and quick updates with less than five people, audio-only calls can optimize productivity. How so? Audio meetings allow you the flexibility to conduct your meetings the way you want to. When you’re free to move away from the office, this gets your blood flowing more efficiently to deliver the nutrients needed by your body and brain. Improved circulation also reduces stress hormones, which brings out your calmer, more focused, and creative side. All of this supports productivity.

Spot, the online tool of choice for walking meeting aficionados, allows remote workers to be active and productive at the same time. Whether in your office or on the move, on-cam or off-cam, with these great tips crushing your fitness goals should be a walk in the park, literally.