Many U.S. workers spend all day sitting at a desk, then they go home – and sit some more. This can lead to poor health, particularly if they don’t head to the gym after work, walk to or from work or perform some other physical activity during the day or evening. Sedentary hours and long days at a desk can result in posture problems, obesity, feelings of tiredness and mental fog, stress, and increased risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
Short of quitting your job and becoming a professional athlete, which is unlikely for most of us, is there anything you can do? Yes, there are many ways to increase your activity level at work! The keys to staying fit on the job lie in more time spent standing and moving and less time spent snacking.
The accompanying infographic offers practical suggestions for staying fit while at a desk job. Check it out and start taking steps at work to improve your health. A small amount of effort can have big benefits!
You can easily adapt these ideas to increasing your level of physical activity even while at home, out shopping or at play. For example, you can walk up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator, walk briskly on moving sidewalks and escalators, move around while attending sporting events if possible, leave the car at home and ride a bike or walk to neighborhood destinations, exercise while watching TV or talking on the phone, sign up for an aerobics class at the gym, and/or take up a new sport on the weekends. However you choose to do it, just start moving … and keep moving!
Author bio: Dr. Myur S. Srikanth is a board-certified bariatric and cosmetic surgeon at the Center for Weight Loss Surgery. He has been performing bariatric surgery exclusively since 2000 and has performed over 3,500 weight loss surgeries. Dr. Srikanth performs nearly every operation that is currently available to treat obesity.
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