For most people, adulting means needing to work at a desk job for up to 8 hours a day so you can make a living and keep bread on the table. While this kind of job isn’t as taxing as physically strenuous ones such as blue-collar jobs, there are caveats to jobs that require minimal movement.
It is often said that sitting is the new smoking because living a sedentary lifestyle – which is relatively common for people who work a desk job – comes with its health risks such as a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and a whole bunch of others.
Undeniably, it can be hard to go to the gym after work, so you can make up for sitting still for an extended time. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t simultaneously get the job done at your desk and still keep your blood pumping – here’s how:
Make use of an exercise ball
If you happen to have an exercise ball lying around, you should go ahead and get it. Instead of using your computer chair, try sitting on an exercise ball instead.
Doing so is a good workout for your core muscles – particularly those on your abs and back muscles – because you would have to flex and hold them in a certain way to maintain your balance.
Try a stand-up desk
In recent years, stand-up desks have gained notoriety, and for a good reason – they allow you to work at a desk while keeping the adverse effects of sitting to a minimum.
Using a stand-up desk also improves your posture and keeps your blood freely circulating, ultimately making sure that you don’t become a desk potato while getting work done.
Don’t drown yourself in work
Often times when you focus too much on accomplishing more than what your time would ideally allow, you end up drowning yourself in work and not working your muscles for an extensive period. To make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, make it a point to take breaks every now and then to get up and do light exercises such as jumping jacks or even a set of push-ups to get your muscles and cardiovascular system going – even the simplest stretches go a long way in keeping you from being sedentary.
Keep convenience in moderation
Convenience is usually taken as a good thing. However, keep convenience to a moderate level because if you set your work desk to be too convenient, you would probably end up not moving at all.
Working with the coffee maker an arm’s reach away might seem ideal. Still, it might be best to keep it at a certain distance. In this case, if you want to refill your cup, you would inevitably have to step away from your desk and walk a few steps to do so. Even taking ten steps is better than nothing.
Do workouts while working
If you really want to maintain an active lifestyle while attending to your desk job, then you most certainly are more than capable of doing some workouts while checking your emails.
Some examples of desk-friendly workouts are leg lifts under the desk (preferably with ankle weights), make-shift bodyweight wherein you try to lightly lift yourself by pushing your elbow on your armchair, and so much more.
Conclusion
Working a desk job doesn’t mean you inevitably live an inactive lifestyle because there are things that you can do to stay active and still get things done. Aside from the tips that we’ve tackled in this article, it’s also a good idea to keep your overall health in check by seeing a doctor personally or through telehealth in Singapore.
To keep up with the busy schedules of working adults, telemedicine in Singapore is becoming more and more accessible so that people can attend their doctor’s appointments without stepping outside their house.
Consult a doctor online today by downloading the MyCLNQ app to access comprehensive solutions for all your healthcare needs.