Office Wellness: Get up and moving

Office work is notoriously sedentary. Your fingers may be flying across the keyboard most of the day, but the rest of your body sits still as a statue.

Some say that sitting is the new smoking—being seated for lengthy periods can cause postural issues, a loss of muscle strength, and myriad other problems.

Although fodder for beautiful daydreams, quitting your desk job so you can spend the day in motion is likely not an immediate option, so what to do in the meantime? Fortunately there are a few simple ways to fight the battle of the cubicle and get your body moving throughout the day.

Get Up, Stand Up

No matter how absorbed you are in your current project, set an alarm on your computer, or your phone every half hour. When the alarm goes off, you get up. Make a round of the office, go to the kitchen for a glass of water, do a few squats in your cubicle, some stretches, or even jog lightly in place for a minute or two. Anything to get your body out of a seated position and moving.

Challenge your Core

If you must sit, take a look at what you’re sitting on. Adding a Balance & Therapy Wedge to your chair encourages better posture, and can help subtly challenge stabilizing muscles in the core while you work. Or try putting your Stability Ball^™ on a Base, creating a chair that helps you sit tall, and keeps your core working. For more of a challenge, take the ball off the base. The Stability Ball is also a great option for some half-hour mini-break back-stretches.

Get your Blood Moving with a Massage

Massages are wonderful for your body, even if you haven’t just hit the gym for an hour. They get the blood moving, stimulate fascial tissue, and ease away kinks and tension in muscles that have been in the same position for hours. A small roller like the Flex Massage Stick or Total Body Massage Stick is compact enough to keep in your desk drawer for easy access, but effective enough to help combat the effects of a seated 9–5.