Often we have long days at work, then housekeeping, shopping and private appointments. And already the day is over again. What is often neglected? Daily exercise and regular sports sessions. But even if we often lack the time for a detailed sports unit, we can still incorporate a lot of exercise into our everyday lives. We will show you how to integrate daily exercise into everyday life in the long term. The good thing about it: You will quickly notice that your well-being improves and you are more balanced and concentrated both at work and in your free time. So here are our everyday tips for more exercise:
START YOUR DAY RIGHT
On the way to work, you can bring some exercise directly into your everyday life: Get off one stop earlier and walk the rest or park your car a little further away. So you not only have some movement, but can also sort your thoughts before the working day really starts. On public transport, you could also voluntarily stop and thus train your balance. And in the summer, you could grab your bike to cycle to work. At the same time, you can enjoy the summer weather and nature. And maybe you even have less stress, because no traffic jams or congested traffic costs you some nerves.
TAKE THE STAIRS INSTEAD OF THE ELEVATOR
And if you are particularly motivated: Do not climb the stairs slowly and leisurely, but challenge yourself and run up the stairs a little faster. So you get your circulation going and become more awake immediately.
SET UP YOUR WORKPLACE MORE DYNAMICALLY
For example, place your drinks away from your desk, somewhere in the room, so that whenever you want to pour yourself a new glass of water or whatever else you drink, you have to get up. Don’t put a coffee machine in the office, but go to the kitchen for every coffee. You could also put the trash at the end of the room, so you have to get up and take your trash there. And another great option are height-adjustable desks. So you can change your working position from time to time throughout the day and work alternately standing or sitting. There are now many employers who are in favour of this type of desk, because the positive effects on health are immense.
PHONE CALLS AND MEETINGS WHILE STANDING
During your phone calls, you can get up and walk a few steps around the room or hallway. If you know that you are about to have a longer conversation, you can also use your work mobile phone and take a walk. And personal meetings can also be held standing up. Coordinate with your colleagues and arrange regular standing meetings. For meetings for two, you can also go outside and take a walk together.
DRINK A LOT = MANY TOILET VISITS
Try to drink water or tea regularly. On the one hand you promote your concentration, on the other hand you ensure a good fluid balance. In addition, you also have to go to the toilet more often and thus create small breaks in movement.
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS with movement
Do not only use the lunch break for a little digestive walk, but also take small exercise breaks in between. It is best to go out into the fresh air for five or ten minutes or move around at your workplace. And don’t worry about losing valuable time in which you could continue to work through your to-dos: regular exercise has been proven to promote your concentration, creativity and productivity.
EXERCISES at THE WORKPLACE
There are a variety of exercises that can be performed directly at the workplace and can reduce tension. By sitting for a long time, we often suffer from back and neck pain, which makes life difficult for us. With regular short exercise sessions in the workplace, you can reduce or completely avoid these complaints. And so you don’t forget this habit, you can set up a reminder that pops up regularly on your desktop and reminds you to do a few exercises at work. You can find plenty of exercises that are suitable for the workplace on the Internet. Here are some examples:
- Put your arms over your head and stretch as far up as possible while sitting or standing. When standing, you can also walk on your tiptoes.
- Lift your legs and feet under the table, tensing your legs and buttocks and pulling the tips of your feet. Hold this position for a few seconds.
- Make a hump alternately (standing or sitting) by pulling your stomach inward and resting your chin on your chest. Then straighten up again and straighten your back. Pull your shoulders back as far as possible. Switch back and forth between these two positions a few times and hold each position for a few seconds.
- Pull your shoulders up towards your ears and then drop them back into the starting position. Also make this movement a few times in a row.
These were our best tips for small movements in everyday work. Try out some tips tomorrow and see how you feel about it. You will probably quickly notice how good regular exercise is for you and how you can relax your body and mind.