Studies continue to show that people who get more movement/exercise and stretching throughout the day vs. people who spend an hour or less at the gym and then sit at their desk or in the car the rest of the day gain more health & fitness benefits. MOVEMENT is key throughout the day - thus, a body in motion stays in motion (healthier) and a body at rest, stays at rest (unhealthy)!
Here are my Top 10 Favorite tricks I used to do when I was working in the corporate world and what I now teach my clients to incorporate as part of living a healthy, fit lifestyle:
- Set an hourly reminder (on your phone or calendar) to get up from your chair and walk or stretch.
- Stand while talking on the phone or in a group meeting - standing burns more calories than sitting and makes us more alert
- Schedule a Walking Meeting
- Refill your water bottle twice before lunch and twice before you leave the office - this knocks out two healthy habits: More Water consumption and more movement!
- Perform Leg raises or glute crunches while sitting at your desk
- Take the stairs at every opportunity.
- Park far away from your office, meeting or lunch destination to get in more steps.
- Be mindful of your posture when sitting at your desk/car and contract your abs for core strength.
- Perform squats, lunges (or other favorite exercise) or stretch when waiting in the bathroom, at the copier/scanner, or for a meeting.
- Invest in a fitness tracker such as a Fitbit or Jawbone to track your steps and shoot for at least 10,000 daily steps.