So you sit at a computer all day and think how can I fit in the time to be healthy?
Today I’m here to talk about fitness in the office - I've been there too!
Before becoming a PT I was a TV editor.
There are many tips and tricks that can help you throughout your day. Some simple little life hacks to help you on your fitness journey. 1. BE FOOD PREPARED
How many times a day are you caught out and just grabbing something on the go?
A little bit of time spent on weekends doing a little cook up can work wonders for the work week. Cook up a protein, a grain and some veggies. Add your good fats such as nuts, EVOO or avocado and here you have some ready ingredients to use at your disposal. Chuck all in a bowl once you get home for a quick dinner or layer in a jar for a portable lunch. Salads in a jar are perfect for the busy individual. Easy to pack, easy to prepare and easy to eat. Make snacks in a batch and freeze so you can pop in your bag or car to have on hand. These Raw Salted Caramel Protein Balls are one of my favourites. Nadia Felsch is someone you may want to check out for super simple, super fresh, quick food ideas.
2. MOVE
Have you ever sat on your hand for long enough that it went numb? Well this is what happens to your glutes from sitting on them all day!
I have 3 simple tips that I used to do in my office to make me get out of my chair:
Drink from a smaller water bottle (500ml) so you have to get up and walk to fill it up more often
Set an alarm on your phone for every hour and name it an exercise, in which you complete 10 reps. Ok, not everyone has the luxury of working in an edit suite alone and may feel rather uncomfortable dropping and doing 10 squats in the middle of a communal office. So at least set an alarm to remind you an hour has past and stand up and do a stretch. If we sit all day, our hip flexors and chest are going to become tight.
Below are four stretches you can do at your desk to help release the glutes, lowback
and shoulders, hip flexors and chest.
Instead of calling someone a few meters away, walk over to them! Or if there are any stairs nearby, make it a priority and an awareness to actually walk up and down them at least 4 times throughout the day - mark it in your schedule!
3. HYDRATE
The majority of the time we snack when we are thirsty - so go get up and refill that 500ml water bottle again!
If you need help actually drinking the amount of water your body needs (approx. 30mls per kilo of body weight) use my above method of a smaller drink bottle, if you do prefer a larger one, get a marker and draw on it.
Let’s do the math, generally we are at work 8 hours of the day, you have a 1L water bottle and you want to drink 2L before the work day is done.
Grab a marker and divide the bottle into 4 approx 250ml sections and put the times on one side 9am -1pm, (a start and finish point) then the other side 1pm-5pm. BOOM! A visual goal of where you should be throughout the day. Who doesn’t love a challenge?
I do like to add edible berries and citrus to my water too, you hydrate and get little healthy snacks too. My favourite combos to add are
- Strawberry, Lime and Mint
- Cucumber, Lime, Mint and Apple
- Orange, Blueberry and Cucumber.
Why not try out a few combos yourself and see what works for you!
4. BREATHE
No matter how busy and overwhelmed you are, everyone needs to breathe!
A lot of us can get so bogged down in emails, to-do lists, meetings and deadlines - always scheduling time for everyone else. When do we schedule time for ourselves? So spend 60 seconds doing it with intention; find a place ideally outside, in a meeting room, close your office door, or even at your desk if you really really have too. Simply close your eyes and take a long deep slow breath in (ideally for four counts and really think about filling up your belly not the ribcage) then exhale for the same amount of time. Repeat this three to four times and open your eyes, then continue with what needs to be done.
I love doing this while using an elixir spray - I recently stumbled across combardis elixirs and love the scents and little affirmations that come with them. I currently have the Inner strength and clarity mists and do not go a day without taking the time either first thing in the morning or before bed to breathe with intention and set focus on what is playing on my mind.
5. LAUGH
Laughing releases feel good endorphins, makes us smile and generally leaves a happy moment in time.
Yes you read correctly. LAUGH! Either laugh at yourself or make someone else gain a laugh at something you say or do. I’m constantly getting out of my chair and either doing a little dance at the water cooler; 1 to get me moving, and 2, it always amuses anyone who happens to be walking up the stairs. So go on, life is short live a little and Laugh Out Loud.
Find a buddy to tell a lame joke, try a new dance move out for a reaction, watch your favourite genre on YouTube or the latest escapades of what your child got up to. Whatever makes you have a little giggle - take two minutes of your day to go and do it. Laughing also awakens our core too, so a win win situation!
Go on and give these a try, feel free to let me know what made you giggle today!
Live - Dance - Laugh
Nikki