Striking even a little bit of work-life balance can be hard on most days. You spend eight or more hours racing toward last-minute deadlines, sitting in never-ending meetings, and drowning out busybody co-workers. Then you come home to a laundry list of chores, that includes mounting loads of laundry. Before you know it, you’re drained and never even fit in any fitness beyond running the rat race of the day.
No time is an oft-used reason people give for not working out. Even though exercise can bump up your energy, keep you more focused, and provide an easy way to destress, if you can’t squeeze it in, you can’t benefit. While the gym, a ride on a trail, or an hour of yoga class may be your ideal way to work out, you need a plan that’s more accommodating to your hectic schedule. You need a plan you can do during the workday.
Yes, you’re busy at work, but there are actually quite a few options for you to meet your boss’s demands while staying in top shape at the same time. Try these 9-to-5 tricks below, and before you know it, you’ll be trading in your spandex for more power suits.
Take a Stand: If you work in an office, you likely sit for many hours of the day. While you may be forced to do so in meetings and working lunches, when you’re at your desk, you don’t have to. Ask facilities to switch your workstation from a seated to a standing one. It typically just requires the height of your desk to be raised, and maybe a few longer cords for your computer.
Swap Your Seat: If you’re prone to sore feet or your office doesn’t have the option of a standing station, switch out your office chair for an exercise ball instead. Your core muscles will be strengthened, and your posture can improve.
Move Your Meetings: You probably not the only employee lacking in exercise. Check in with your co-workers and see who’d be interested in going for walking meetings instead of holing up in some conference room. The fresh air in combination with the blood pumping will likely lead to feeling more energized and even better business ideas.
Enjoy Incentives: Many companies offer on-site workout facilities or even discounts to local health clubs. Take advantage of these! They exist because your business knows that a healthy worker is a happier, more productive worker.
Kick Off Your Heels: Keep an extra pair of sneakers on site, and you’re more likely to use them. When you’re having a bad day or when the the weather forecast called for rain but it’s sunny as can be, lace up and go for a mid-day power walk.
Create a New Commute: Instead of always taking the car to work, change your pace by riding your bike once or twice a week. Live too far to pedal in? Bring your bike along, and take a lunchtime ride instead.
Drink More Water: While water alone is a healthy beverage choice for all-day sipping, the side effects means more trips to the bathroom as well. Your bladder waits for no busy day, so the more you drink, the more walking to and from the restroom you’ll do. All those steps add up to more exercise!
Health professionals recommended about 30 minutes of fitness a day, but no one says it has to be all at once. Look for ways to sneak in a few minutes of more exercise here and there, or even just over your lunch hour, and your body will be promoted to feeling better.
What tricks do you use to strike a work-life balance? Tell us in the comments!
Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.
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