Movement Matters in the Workplace
Living a sedentary lifestyle can be detrimental to a person’s health. For people who spend hours sitting down behind at a desk for an extended period during the day, they are more susceptible to adverse health effects.
The reality is, despite the many hours spent sitting down, not many individuals spend their free hours working out or counteracting the time spent sitting at work, in their car, or at lunch. After work, people often rest at home, sitting down to eat dinner and catch up on the latest shows. Unfortunately, exercise is not viewed as an essential practice for a lot of the workforce.
This article offers suggestions on the types of exercises and programs that can be implemented at the office to get employees moving and improve their health.
Why is Sitting for Long So Terrible?
Many individuals have jobs that require them to sit down and work on their computer all day long. Many do not realize that prolonged sitting can potentially lead to obesity, heart disease, increased risk of specific cancers, and premature death. So, maintaining an active lifestyle, especially if your current one is highly sedentary, is crucial.
What Are the Benefits of Standing & Sitting Ergonomically?
Standing up while working has significant benefits. It helps to strengthen and tone core muscles and also those in the leg. It improves your posture, which is ideal for keeping bones and muscles in the correct position. Standing while working can even limit fatigue while still supporting your body.
For those who are required to sit at their jobs, sitting ergonomically is beneficial. Much like standing with great posture has its advantages, sitting upright in a comfortable position, with adequate support, at the right height, and in proper desk posture also has the same rewards.
Get Moving at Work
Health in the workplace is crucial because happy and healthy employees produce the best work. Alternating between standing and sitting is excellent for re-energizing the body and getting your blood flowing. Workers can also choose to get moving on their breaks by taking a walk or doing a brief workout. Offering a program at work that gets everyone moving is another great way to encourage people to be active.
How to Implement an Exercise Program at Work
Your work exercise program will need social support to thrive. So, ensuring that everyone is willing to work on the program together is the only way to be successful. Get management involved in improving the work culture and show everyone that executives are committed to helping everyone live a healthier life.
Promoting the program with some fun elements can also help to improve participation. For instance, including a mascot or a memorable tagline can help to heighten the enthusiasm. These fun elements, along with a designated break for the program’s operation, can help to yield positive results.
As the program progresses, continue to remind individuals about the importance of moving around and being active both at work and at home. The goal is to create a workspace that is open to employee development. Hence, providing them with visual reminders such as a presentation about the importance of exercise is helpful. Also, being open to employee feedback about the program and offering rewards and incentives for participating can help to nurture the program.
Oeveo Is an Advocate of Health in the Workplace
At Oeveo, we are all about helping office professionals improve their lifestyle and how they work. We offer valuable products and solutions that many can take advantage of while in the office. For further information on ergonomics, we have additional resources which can be viewed here. Should you have a question about what we do, visit our website or feel free to contact us.
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