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Working Out at Work: How to Increase Your Activity During Your 9 to 5
- Lauren Barkley
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Has working and staying fit been a source of stress for you? If so, you’re not alone in your concerns. According to federal guidelines, it is recommended that we get 150 minutes of exercise per week, but how many Americans are living up to that requirement? Many people feel that there is not enough time in the day to exercise; it can be exhausting to exercise before and/or after work. Here are some ways you can get more activity in your workday, and why it is so important.
The vast majority of jobs currently are sedentary, with only 20% of jobs classified as “active”. This is very different from the 1960s, when half of all jobs were “active” (Michos, n.d.). Needless to say, Americans currently get much less physical activity than we did. The fact that 80% of all jobs are sedentary, 80% of all working Americans are now at an increased risk for many additional health concerns. These include metabolic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, cancers, high blood pressure, and obesity (Rousseau, 2024). Increasing your step count, standing more during the workday, and finding creative strategies to be more active during the day can massively lower your risk for these conditions.
Now that we have established that finding movement at work is necessary, let’s explore some ways to get it done:
Get a standing desk
Although researchers at the University of Pittsburgh suggest that the benefit of standing desks is small, standing still burns more calories than sitting (Shmerling, 2016)
Go on walking meetings
Physical therapist Olivia Rousseau suggests that walking meetings can add additional steps and activity to your day (2024)
If walking meetings aren’t possible, walk on your lunch break
Get a foot pedal exerciser for the desk
Here is an example
Take stretching breaks every hour or half hour
This can also help boost productivity
Have an accountability buddy (American Heart Association, 2024)
Go on walks at the same time in the office
Share your work schedule with your buddy so you can schedule in advance
Even though you now have some strategies to get more movement in, it’s important to remember that progress does not occur overnight. It is best to ease into a new routine, gradually increasing your step count or your weekly minutes of activity, physician Erin Donnely Michos suggests. Dr. Michos suggests tracking when you are active throughout the day at your baseline; this provides good information when reevaluating your routine and planning a new one.
In summary, exercise is necessary to improve your physical and mental well-being and to add some enjoyment to your day. Finding ways to exercise at your sedentary job might be challenging, but it is far from impossible.
Works Cited
American Heart Association Contributors. (2024, January 5). How to Be More Active at Work. www.heart.org; American Heart Association | Getting Advice. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/how-to-be-more-active-at-work
Donnelly Michos, E. (2015). Sitting Disease: How a Sedentary Lifestyle Affects Heart Health. Johns Hopkins Medicine | Health; Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/sitting-disease-how-a-sedentary-lifestyle-affects-heart-health
Rousseau, T. (2024). 5 Ways to Stay Active at Work | Live Healthy | MU Health Care. Living Healthy; Missouri University. https://livehealthy.muhealth.org/stories/cant-ditch-desk-5-ways-stay-active-work
Shmerling, R. (2016, September 27). The truth behind standing desks - Harvard Health Blog. Harvard Health Blog; Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-truth-behind-standing-desks-2016092310264
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