I hear it more often than not that people say, "I can't get in shape since I sit all day". The thing is, you will only be as fit as you allow yourself to be and you can only be as motivated as the drive within you. Stay fit at your office job by following these 5 tips.
1. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD
Half the battle is telling your co-workers, "no", when they ask you to go get Chinese for lunch with them. It's hard saying, "no", when you don't have an alternative. Bring your own snacks and meals and use the brown paper bag shield! Rejecting a scrumptious, yet highly fattening and salty Chinese run just got that much easier!
2. MEAL PREP
Meal prepping is easier than you'd think, even if you don't enjoy cooking. Buy a couple pounds of lean meat for the week, some veggies, and rice or similar. Heck, you can even purchase the frozen, toss-them-in-the-microwave veggies. There are even pre-made rice servings available so all you need to do is heat them up! SO EASY! Trust me, I'm no cook, but you can certainly make delicious meals this way! Another option would be to utilize your local meal prep service. A few examples in Omaha include Muscle Maker Grill, EAT FIT GO, and Fuel Fit Kitchen.
3. FORCE YOURSELF TO TAKE BREAKS
Glueing your eyes to a computer screen isn't good for your eyes or your body. Get up and get moving! Stretch, do bodyweight lunges and squats, plank for a minute, do some jumping jacks. Who cares what your co-workers think! They're going to be wishing they were doing it too, once they see how much your energy boosts, mood lightens, and focus increases!
4. RESIST THE CANDY JAR
We all have the one co-worker that brings candy for everyone and constantly replenishes. Although the gesture is ever so kind, it's also a habit that doesn't benefit your health. It becomes a ritual after a while - ope, 2pm! Time for my candy run! How about we turn that into -
ope, 2pm! Time to for my teams plank contest!
5. SET GOALS WITHIN YOUR TEAM
Having social support in the office makes a huge difference. Make your health and fitness goals a group effort; I'm sure your peers would be ecstatic to join you! All it takes is an ask. Make it fun by creating a little friendly competition - who can plank the longest, who can do the most bodyweight squats, etc. Health & fitness should be enjoyable, not miserable!
How do you stay fit while working at a sedentary desk job?
XOXO
- Katharine