Working from home can reduce the opportunities that you have for movement throughout the day. Did you used to walk or ride a bike for your commute to work in the morning, pop out for lunch and make frequent trips to the photo copier or water cooler?
The average person in a desk-based role may manage only 5,000 steps per day. Adults should aim to get a minimum of:
- 150-minutes of moderate activity
- 75-minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise (or an equivalent combination of the two)
- as well as 2 days of resistance training that targets every major muscle group each week.
If you are one of the many people managing just 5,000 steps per day, you are probably struggling to meet these goals. Many people are finding that they are now spending long hours at their screen and are not scheduling regular movement breaks but why is movement so important?
The Importance of Movement
Walking or fidgeting are by-products of your day and not specific exercise. They would be termed as ‘non exercise activity thermogenesis’ (NEAT) movement which is non planned and non-intentional.
This can account for a large proportion of our energy burned throughout the day, it helps keep your energy intake and output balanced and this helps with the maintenance of a healthy weight. This can account for 6-10% of your total energy if you are sedentary and 50% or more in a more active individual.
NEAT is a vital component of creating a healthy energy balance and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle may contribute to diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, stroke, some types of cancer, and poorer mental health outcomes.5
The good news is that adding more movement into your day can combat these effects, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. By just adding 30 minutes of walking four times per week this may lower risk of heart failure.
Movement can also help combat the adverse effects of sitting, such as pain, stiffness, and muscular imbalances. It also can help increase your energy and concentration.
Regular movement can also improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, improving your mood and helping you feel more balanced.
Ways to add more Movement into Your Day
Adding more movement into your day doesn’t have to time consuming or difficult. Here are several ways to increase NEAT and planned activity during your workday.
Movement Breaks
- Set a reminder for a movement break. This does not need be for a lengthy period, just to get up and have a 30 second crazy break. Stand up, get everything moving and take a deep breath.
- You could move around and perform light stretches or walk around the office, your home or garden.
- Try moving around the room when on a phone call
- If on a multi-person video call switch off your camera and move around the room.
- Set up a movement workstation – Lift your laptop onto a windowsill or work top to stand for video calls. Have a pad on a higher level so that you can write things down while standing on a phone call.
- Try walking meetings – suggest to your team that a regular meeting could be taken during a walk.
- Create opportunities to walk
- Take advantage of any stairs and use them regularly rather than using the lift or escalator when out.
- Use your lunch break to head out for a walk. Walking after your meal can help control blood sugar levels, adding even more significant benefits to your extra activity.
A short movement break every 30 minutes can combat the effects of sitting.
The blood flow boost that comes from getting out of your seat can help with more stable blood sugar levels, reduced “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels, and improve fasting glucose.
