Tips for keeping fit at the Office

As far as most office work goes, a sedentary lifestyle is usually the norm. for most office workers, a larger part of the day is spent n the office and most of the time, behind their desks. Unfortunately, after a tiring day, they usually go home and sit in front of TV. One habit that stand out is the constant sitting and less physical activity.

Apart from the weight issues associated with a sedentary lifestyle, Prof Lasun Emiola of the Department of Physical and Health education, university of Ilorin, kwara State, observed it can result in great increase in hyperkinetic diseases like hypertension, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.


In working to make ends meet, we don’t have to sacrifice a good health and waistline  for a paycheck. The secret is in moving more and sitting less.

Here are some simple yet effective methods of keeping fit while at the office.

1- Take the stairs instead of using the elevator.

2- Stand at your desk, such as when you’re on the phone, to burn more calories.

3- Instead of sending an email, BBM or facebook message to your colleague, get up and take the walk.

4- Drink more water. Beside hydration, it would give you a reason to get up more often to visit the restroom.

5- Bring your own low fat snacks to the office instead of having to resort to fast food and sugar – laden pastries which contribute to obesity. Fruits and vegetables also make for excellent snacks.

6- During lunch breaks, walk to the cafeteria instead of ordering in lunch. Take the opportunity to also take short strolls round the office.

7- Cut down on sweetened drinks. If you’re tempted to down a bottle or more of carbonated drinks, resist and take water instead.

8- perform simple exercise like heel raises, by standing with your weight evenly distributed to both feet and then slowly raising your heels off of the floor and then back down. You can also flex your feet while sitting by slowly rotating your ankles clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

All this should not take the place of structured exercise, which workers, whether sedentary or not, should take the time out to engage in, but it is a step in keeping us fit at work.

However, exercise means that you’re doing exercise for exercise sake and not just because your work involves a lot of physical activity. They are not the same.