Get up, get active

When asked why people don’t exercise, often you will hear the phrase “I just don’t have time or there isn’t enough time in a day”.

This doesn’t have to be the case when working long hours. The Australian Burden of Disease Study released in November 2017 states that 2.6% of total disease burden in Australia was due to physical inactivity. If Australians did an extra 15 minutes’ walk each day, 5 days a week, this could reduce disease burden inactivity to approximately 13%. If Australians did a 30-minute walk this could then be reduced to 26%.

If you’re after four simple ways to keep fit in the workplace then keep reading.

  1. To increase your daily exercise in the workplace, start with walking around your office when doing your job. If your task is to answer phone calls, opt to using a headset or headphones with a microphone, and walk around whilst you’re on the phone. Even if your phone call doesn’t last long, that five-minute phone call saves five-minutes you could be at home watching Netflix!
  2. Another creative way to implement exercise in the workplace is in your meeting. When you hear the word “meeting” the first thing that comes to mind is sitting around a large table discussing work-related issues. When having a meeting, no one is stopping you from jogging on the spot, starting with 5-star jumps or evening standing up. Some people may find this a burden; however, you’re looking out for the health and well-being of all staff members and preventing them from future health risks.
  3. Many government roles are multi-level buildings. Instead of being like everyone else and taking the elevator, take the stairs. Taking the stairs is a great way to avoid small talk and elevate the heart rate in your everyday routine.
  4. Lunchtime. Everyone’s favourite time of the day. Don’t waste this time to sit around and eat for 30 to 60 minutes, get up and get active with your team. This could mean joining the nearest gym or popping the sneakers on for a walk around the block. Exercising can be fun and there is always time for it in your day.

I hope that after reading this you can implement some quick and fun way to stay active in your workplace. Feel free to message us on our Effective People Facebook page for any questions, tips or feedback.

Author: Rille Beath

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