Let’s face it - staying fit and healthy is challenging when you spend the majority of your day sitting at a desk. Getting in all 10,000 steps is more pipedream than reality when you have emails to answer, phone calls to take and meetings to endure.
Especially now that so many companies are transitioning from work-from-home back to the office, whatever healthy habits you implemented at home (going for a daily walk, working out frequently, avoiding unnecessary snacks like pastries and cookies) could very well be threatened by the transition back into the office.
And while this might be true, no one says it needs to be your reality. With certain lifestyle choices, you can make your return to the office the healthiest it’s ever been.
Invest in a standing desk
You can find them at office supplies stores or online, with tons of bells and whistles or just a simple lever system, depending on what you need and/or want. Standing desks are ideal for those long afternoon stretches when you have tons of work to get done on the computer but are feeling ever so slightly stir crazy. Standing desks allow you to push your desk chair aside, bounce on the balls of your feet and stretch out those calves, right there in your office.
And as an added bonus, you can work off 54 more calories per day standing versus sitting. It’s the little things, you know?
Suggest walking meetings
It’s widely accepted that 30 minutes of exercise a day is important to cultivating a healthy lifestyle. But even though 30 minutes isn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things, it can feel like a huge chunk out of your day when you’re busy running from work to appointment to dinner plans.
But no one said how these 30 minutes of exercise need to be completed, and this is the key. If you have a meeting with a colleague or supervisor, suggest a walking meeting, especially if the day is warm and sunny. Not only will walking give both of you a little exercise, but the sun’s vitamin D will strengthen immunity and provide natural rejuvenation for the rest of the day.
Pretend the elevator is out of service forevermore
Honestly, just take the stairs. Unless you're hauling a huge tote or you work on the top floor of a skyrise, skip the elevator and walk up the stairs. And even if you do work in a highrise, take the elevator three-quarters of the way up and then jump on the stairwell. You can get your heart pumping, your lungs working and your legs fit. And then it’ll be a mini reward to sit down at your desk.
Prep your lunches
Nothing spells doom to a healthy lifestyle than office goodies, vending machines and lunches forgotten on the counter at home (if they were even made in the first place). Therefore, it’s even more important when transitioning back to the office to prepare healthy lunches ahead of time.
Not quite sure what that looks like? Try:
Salads with lots of dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula and romaine.
Turkey or tuna sandwiches made on whole grain bread
Instead of making a phone call or sending an email, go talk to your coworkers in person. It’ll get you up and moving, out of your office, and it might even get you the answer you need quicker than waiting for a return email. Plus, it helps to build a healthy community in the workplace!
It’s called a mobile phone for a reason
If you can, make that phone call while you walk. It’s the same concept as a walking meeting. Take the phone call outside, and circle the office building once or twice. Walking breeds creativity, which could be seriously beneficial if you’re trying to brainstorm new ways to reach a greater audience or improve employee retention.
Treat yourself … to a cool reusable water bottle
Drinking water is seriously underrated because it pretty much solves all of life’s problems, from headaches to skin problems to weight concerns. Get yourself a reusable water bottle and make it your goal to drink one whole bottle before lunch, and another bottle in the afternoon.
And, if you want to spice it up a little and give your body and brain a boost, try adding a scoop or two of the Fountain of Youth Formula to your morning or afternoon water.
Take a break
We work, work, work, work, work without pausing for a break - a real break, not a five-minute scroll through social media break. It’s important not only for your mental health but for your physical health as well, to stand up, stretch and walk away from your desk for a brief period of time. Go pop into your coworker buddy’s office, walk down to the coffee shop on the corner, do whatever it is you need to do to give yourself a little respite from your computer screen and to-do list.
Healthy doesn’t need to be complicated
We get it - we’re all super busy and sometimes it’s hard to stay dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, but we also know it’s worth the effort. Even if it’s as simple as taking Fountain of Youth Formula Collagen Protein daily for an immunity boost and implementing little habits like taking the stairs, a healthy, peaceful transition back to the office is well in your grasp.