Fitness

4 Ways to Build Movement Into Your Working Day

woman exercising at home

For many of us, going to work doesn’t involve leaving our homes. While there are many perks to working from home, it can also be a challenge being sedentary most of the day. However, there are still ways to incorporate more activity into your day.

Here are four simple ideas to build more movement into your working day, wherever you are:

1. Set a Timer for Regular Breaks

When you’re working hard in full flow, it can be easy to sit in one place without moving for hours at a time. However, it’s important to get up at regular intervals throughout the day to keep your body moving.

A simple way to remind yourself that it’s time for a break is to set a timer. When it goes off, you can break up your working day with mini movement sessions.

For example, if you work for eight hours each day, you can set your timer to remind you to move for at least five minutes at the end of each hour. Use this time to jog on the spot, do some simple stretches or even some star jumps.

By the time you finish work, you’ll have added an extra 40 minutes of physical activity to your day.

You could also try some simple arm and leg stretches at your desk. Check out these simple home exercises for beginners with LaBriece.

2. Take a Proper Lunch Break

When we’re busy, it can seem easier to eat and work at the same time. However, by stepping away from your desk to take a proper lunch break, you can use your break to fit in an extra movement session.

Taking a break to eat helps you to eat more mindfully without any distractions, meaning you’ll be more likely to stop when you’re full, and you should have time to fit in a few extra steps or stretches instead of going straight back to your inbox.

3. Go for a Walk

Try to get outside and go for a walk each day if you can. Not only is a change of scenery good for your mental wellbeing, but fresh air is also energising and can help to keep you focused on your work.

If the Great British weather prevents you from going outside, you can simply take a stroll around your house. Just start from where you’re at and see how long it takes you to walk in and out of each room, up and down the stairs, and maybe even around your garden – perhaps accompanied by an umbrella…

4. Track your Steps

Tracking your steps is a great way to see exactly how much or how little you’re moving each day. Seeing the number of steps go up will motivate you to keep moving and do more.

Need ideas on how you can work in more walk breaks to increase your step count even further? You can take frequent breaks by getting up for a glass of water. Also, you can go up and down your stairs a few times or walk around the house while you’re on work calls.

Every little movement throughout the day adds up and helps you to get closer to your overall weight loss goal. When you incorporate these simple tips to build movement into your working day, you can continue to stay active even while you work.



Health & Nutrition Expert

Health & Nutrition Expert

Writer and expert