Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve heard it before. Work out while on the phone…. park far from your office…. take the stairs. All while trying to get your job done so you can get home to run the kids to practice, take yoga, go to your own practice and make dinner. Right?!
The fact is, in today’s busy world, it IS important to take care of yourself. Sometimes, yes sometimes, those work hours host numerous opportunities for basic movement that we can all take advantage of daily. Think about incorporating movement into your day for this week of Lent. Leave your desk and move for 10 minutes every hour. Drink more water – it will make you have to walk to the restroom. Just move your limbs every hour to take a computer break. Bend, stretch, breathe.
One of the best ways to move these days, according to science, is to do micro-bursts of activity, or intervals of high octane activity. A recent study showed out-of-shape 20 to 30-year old women who used the stairs in their office building by:
- running up a flight in 20 quick seconds, then
- walking down a corridor (think of a hotel) for about 2 minutes,
- then up another flight, and
- down a corridor again,
- cooling down by walking for about 3 minutes
For a total of 10 minutes…Three times per week...Greatly improved their cardiovascular health over a period of six weeks – as much as if they had run or cycled each week for hours!
This could work for you! It’s weather proof and time proof – surely you have 10 minutes you can break away for during your day. If you get sweaty, just sponge off in the restroom, splash a little powder, change your shirt or blouse if necessary, and go have lunch. You’ll still have about 45 minutes to have a nourishing lunch.
If the only time you can work out is at your office, it might be a good idea to think twice about this initiative. There are numerous other easy things you can do to improve your physical health while at work. If you want some ideas, give us a call!
To Your Vitality!
