If we took a penny every time we’ve heard that inactivity is bad for us, we’d be millionaires. Sitting at the desk all day long is one of the most dangerous forms of inactivity, which the majority of office workers suffer from. World Trade Organization even listed inactivity as the fourth biggest risk factor of adult mortality. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
What Are The Risks Of Sitting?
Let’s not go deep into the large variety of inactive lifestyle risks. Here are just a few of them:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Weakening of brain activity (memory loss)
- Depression and mood swings
- Cancer risk
- Blood sugar level increase
- Erectile dysfunction
- Sleep problems
- Back and neck aches
- Hemorrhoids
We can go on and on, but you get the picture, right?
What Can We Do?
The more we learn about the unpleasant risks of leading an inactive lifestyle, the more we want to avoid them. Let’s turn to the experts to find out how to prevent unfortunate consequences. Most of them recommend walking for at least 10,000 steps per day (about 4.7 miles or 7.6 km).
While going for a walk or a run when you spend 8 to 10 hours a day in the office is not always possible, you can take advantage of interesting ways to stay active in the workspace.
- Walk or ride a bike to work. If you live too far away, consider taking the train and then walking/cycling the rest of the way.
- Go out to get coffee. Don’t use the coffee machine to prep your coffee. Get orders from your employees and walk to the nearest coffee shop.
- Arrange walking meetings. Meetings on the go are excellent for brainstorming.
- Walk instead of calling. If you need to speak to your coworker, who sits in another part of the building, walk there.
- Stretch. Get up every 30 minutes and do a stretching session.
- Use the fitness room. Many office buildings have a fitness room. Spend your lunchtime exercising.
Why Is An Active Environment So Important?
While people read a lot about the necessity to move, not many of them actually do it. As a result, their productivity levels fall and the irritation rises. At the same time, they start suffering from chronic health conditions, which often have them calling in sick.
Creating an active working environment can help companies stimulate activity during the workday. Thus helping the employees enjoy their lives more and boosting their productivity. Meanwhile, the right environment can improve the employee’s mood. Research shows that a pleasant environment at work is often more important to workers than money.
What Are The Benefits Of An Active Environment?
A big part of the active environment is equipment. Many companies create a small fitness room to help employees exercise during lunchtime or other breaks. Others consider installing fitness equipment in the meeting rooms.
Providing employees an opportunity to lead an active way of life greatly increases the chances of them taking advantage of it. For example, something as simple as a bike simulator like Flexispot Desk Bike V9 can help employees exercise while working. So what are the benefits?
- Better physical shape leads to self-satisfaction and better productivity.
- Better brain activity helps make excellent decisions and ace the brainstorming sessions.
- Increased blood flow allows the employees to get creative and solve tough problems.
- Exercising together with the help of Flexispot Desk Bike V9 improves teamwork and the overall atmosphere in the workspace.
