How to Get More Movement in Your Workday
By Sara Butler
Millions of Americans sit behind a desk at work for hours at a time every day. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, sitting behind a desk can compromise mental, physical and brain health for workers, which can have a significant impact on work productivity. Here are ways office workers can try to incorporate more movement into their day, according to the chiropractors at The Joint!
How Sitting Impacts Health
From a physical standpoint, sitting in one position for too long isn’t healthy. It can increase chances of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. Many experts, including chiropractors, advise getting up at least once every hour to move around, stretch, and break out of a posture.
Physical health is one thing that can be impacted by too much sitting at work, and brain function is another. Inactivity can cause the brain to enter a state where short term memory is impacted, as well as processing speed. Even the ability to retain new information and learn new things can be affected, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Places for Movement
One of the best things to promote more movement in the workday is to create workspaces that encourage movement. Workstations can be adjusted to encourage more movement by utilizing desks that can convert from sitting to standing desks. Stairwells can also be made more appealing to use, and common areas created for people to use in order to get a break during the day. Collaborating with coworkers in common spaces or at other desks is also a good solution.
Organize
Get a group of people from the office together to go for walks during breaks or start having walking meetings. Employers can also help to encourage a culture of movement and health by organizing competitions for employees who can meet set goals of movement throughout the day!
Education
People need to know the benefits of movement throughout the day, which is why it will pay to be a role model for people in the office. Movement should be seen as a normal activity in the day, both allowed and welcomed by the corporate culture.
Employees who feel they are valued often feel happier and more empowered in the workplace, making productivity skyrocket! By incorporating movement into the day, workers can increase blood flow, improve alertness and problem solving, and enhance their creativity. It creates a winning situation for everyone!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.
