Hello and welcome to another article of our Health blog series! Today we are going to give you some tips for staying healthy while having a desk job. A good percentage of the population has a desk job and since the pandemic even more people have had to transition online to be able to do their job. Spending more time sitting will increase the risk for health problems but the good news is that there are options to prevent it from happening!
#1 Don't skip breakfast
First things first, have something to eat after you get up as it will give you energy to continue throughout the day. By skipping important meals our mood changes and we might experience lack of concentration or have low performance. My personal favourite meal for breakfast is oatmeal with a mixture of berries and banana. Search for recipes and find one that suits your tastes and never skip the most important meal of the day!
#2 Drink water
It's a common sense to drink water as 60% of our body contains it. But maybe due to work or laziness we forget to drink water. Always keep a large bottle of water next your desk and have frequent sips to help maintain an appropriate level of hydration. And no, having caffeinated drinks don't count!
#3 Sit properly
We spend a lot of hours on our desk so we need to set it up ergonomically to avoid neck and back pain. You have to ensure your office desk is suited to your needs which means sitting up straight, and aligning your head properly with your screen to hep you maintain a healthy spine and healthy body. Listen to a professional: Ergonomics Expert Explains How to Set Up Your Desk | WSJ - YouTube
#4 Take frequent breaks
Our body is not designed to sit all day so take frequent breaks. There are different options such as 20min work 5min break but my favourite is 50min work and 10min break. Now keep in mind that not everyone works the same way so adjust the timings to your needs. But make sure you have a break every hour and get up an walk during that time! Leave your phone in a drawer.
#5 Stand whenever possible
Have you ever considered standing while doing tasks? Well it's time. If you can stand up while flipping through files or making phone calls then do it. It might feel awkward at first but then you get used to it. I do prefer moving around when on my mobile phone as my mind is busy talking my body is moving, so give it a go!
That's all folks, 5 easy steps to help you with your daily work life. Let us know how you found them or what else did you do in the comments below. See you next week!