BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Over 80 percent of all U.S. jobs are primarily sedentary, according to the American Heart Association.
While working at a desk in an office environment has its perks, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with multiple health concerns such as obesity, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
So, how can a person with a sedentary job stay fit?
According to The Health Hub, the answer to this boils down to two factors that require action and consistency in making intentional choices to support one’s health.
The article suggests:
- Reduce the negative effects of the desk job in your life: stay moving in the day, stretch, improve the ergonomics of your workplace, and try to avoid too much sitting.
- Find a place for movement and exercise in your life: practice short workouts, find active hobbies, reduce the commitment required for exercise, and try to find joy in movement.
Buzzfeed recommends investing in a few tools to help keep you on your fitness toes.
It advises purchasing an Apple Watch SE to keep track of health and fitness stats like heart rate, sleep quality, steps and more. The watch will also alert you when you’ve been sitting for too long, which can be helpful if you typically sit for eight plus hours at a desk job.
Buzzfeed also suggests buying a spacious height-adjustable desk, so that you can switch from sitting to standing while working on your computer throughout the day.
There are a variety of ways to stay fit while maintaining a sedentary desk job, and as you choose the methods that best support your lifestyle and schedule, health experts recommend getting enough sleep, the proper nutrition, and staying hydrated.