How does a sedentary lifestyle affect your body?

There are plenty of good reasons to get moving at work. According to Better Health,* sitting for long periods can lead to weakening and wasting away of the large leg and gluteal muscles, make it harder for you to digest fats and sugars in the food you eat, and may even have links to anxiety and depression. 

Walking meetings

Get out of the office for those catch ups and into the great outdoors. Various studies^ have found that walking meetings boost creativity and allow people to connect with colleagues in a more relaxed way. However you want to keep these meetings for more creative tasks that use divergent thinking and don’t require lots of note taking. If you can’t walk, consider standing.

Think about the facilities you’re using

Is there a printer further away from your desk that you can use? Can you walk up to the second floor kitchen to get in some extra steps? We’re used to having everything in reach but it’s affecting how often we’re moving. Choosing to walk between floors or across offices also encourages you to connect with different people across the organisation which can be good for mental wellbeing and relationship building.

Use a standing desk

Many workplaces are now providing staff with standing desks. If yours doesn’t, you might like to investigate providing your own. Healthline# has found that standing can lower your risk of weight gain and obesity, lower blood sugar levels, lower your risk of heart disease, reduce back pain and improve mood and energy levels. In fact, when compared to an afternoon of sedentary work, standing has been shown to burn over 170 additional calories+. 

Choose the stairs

According to the Grand Valley State University~, taking the stairs could add years to your life and life to your years. Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result in a loss of 2.7kg a year and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular stair climbers.  You don’t any special equipment or skills – just motivation!

While we can’t help you with your physical health, we can help with your financial health. TelstraSuper can stay with you at every step of your career journey and even into retirement. Call us on 1300 033 166 to get help with your TelstraSuper account over the phone at no additional cost. 

* https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/the-dangers-of-sitting 
# https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-benefits-of-a-standing-desk#section2 
^ https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/creativity-you/201703/walking-meetings-proceed-caution 
+ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24297826 
~ https://www.gvsu.edu/takethestairs/why-take-the-stairs-2.htm