How to Make Your Workplace Healthier
Get-Fit Guy has 5 ways to hack your workplace to make you healthier. Click to learn how to build muscle, burn fat, elevate your metabolism, and stay healthy at work.
A study just released this month found that fitter CEOs (in this case, those who run marathons) are more likely to run companies with higher firm values. The results show that marathon-running CEOs run companies valued about 4% to 10% higher than those of non-running CEOs!
Researchers hypothesized that CEOs who exercise are presumably healthier and less stressed than those who don’t, which then leads to better corporate performance. Turns out that running in particular is a good indicator of executive fitness as it “Is a primary sport for people who travel a lot, have changing schedules, a high need for flexibility, and considerable workload.” Plus, running training can be done just about anywhere with minimal equipment.
See also: How to Use Minimalist Running Shoes
Whether you’re a CEO or not, you’re still going to have days at the office when you just can’t go out for a run – or perhaps you can’t run or don’t like to run. Fortunately there are many other ways to make yourself healthier in the workplace. In this episode, you’ll get 5 quick and dirty tips to do just that!
Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Varidesk, a height adjustable standing desk that sits on top of your existing furniture. Learn more at Varidesk.com
Tip #1: Flexible Workstations
I purposefully used the word “flexible” workstation rather than “standing” workstation. See, if you simply make a switch from sitting to standing, you’re still going to find yourself in one single position all day long, and this can be just as bad for your joints as having your butt planted in a chair all day long. So “flexible” means that you sometimes sit, sometimes stand, sometimes lie on the floor on your stomach, sometimes kneel, sometimes lunge, etc.
But standing is ultimately the best position to spend most (but not all) of the day in. When you stand, you not only upregulate your metabolic rate, you also increase the activity of fat burning enzymes. In addition, if you’re sitting continuously for 2 hours or longer at the office, research has shown that you’re going to have a higher risk of chronic disease no matter how much you exercise when you leave work.
With the advent of standing workstations such as the RebelDesk and UpDesk, treadmill desks like the TreadDesk, and a variety of standing workstations, there’s no excuse for not finding a way to be vertical at work. Even if you don’t get a fancy standing workstation, the minimum you can do is simply find a surface in your office such as a cupboard or cabinet that is high enough to put a laptop or desktop on! For more tips on creating a standing workstation, check out my episode 7 Ways to Burn Calories by Standing More.
Tip #2: Stretch Break Apps
When I need to work at my desk for an extended period of time, I simply set a stopwatch by my keyboard. That way I am reminded every 25 minutes that I need to stop for a quick fitness break. I stop what I’m doing and stand, pace, or go out in the sunshine for 5 minutes. But if a stopwatch doesn’t work for you, there are apps for your smartphone too! Here are a few of my favorites:
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Eyeleo – This “take a break” tool lets you rest your eyes and forces you to exercise or stretch by disabling your computer screen for a specified period of time.
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Workrave – A tool that “forces” you to take micro breaks, long breaks, and even limit your daily computer usage while offering a selection of exercises you can do during these breaks.
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Big Stretch Reminder – Allows you to design breaks exactly how you want them by specifying intervals, what breaks are for, levels of intrusiveness, and more.
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PC Work Break – A reminder that encourages you to take micro breaks, stretching breaks, eye exercises, and even walks.
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EVO – A web-based break software that allows you to select from three different ways to reduce eye strain.
Tip #3: Less EMF
Electromagnetic fields (EMF), also known as electrical pollution, can give you brain fog, disrupt focus, decrease productivity, and make your workplace a far less healthy place to be. From WiFi routers, to cell phone signals, to office kitchen microwaves, these electrical fields can be all around you. In my video 7 Ways to Reduce Electrical Pollution in Your Office, I introduce some simple and inexpensive ways you can block EMF or reduce EMF in your workspace, including:
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Blue light blocking glasses to reduce glare and headaches from staring at your computer screen -
Greenwave EMF Filters that plug into your wall to block electrical pollution
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Negative ion generator that plugs into your wall for more healthy electrical ions
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Laptop grounding cable that plugs into your laptop for fewer power surges
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Airtube headset to make talking on your cell phone healthier
Blue light blocking glasses to reduce glare and headaches from staring at your computer screenTip #4: No-Frills Office Gym
Even if your office doesn’t have a big, fancy gym, you can easily piece together your own small office gym, and it doesn’t take much space at all!
Here are some essential tools I recommend, all of which could easily be purchased for under $300:
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Elastic Tubing: Although one piece of elastic tubing with handles on either end is fine, a few different tubes with varying levels of resistance can offer you more variety from pulling to pushing to twisting. For stronger hips and butt and an added calorie-burn you can even tie your legs together with elastic tubes and walk around the house while you’re cleaning or doing laundry. One version of elastic tubing that I recommend for more exercise variety is called a Gymstick, which is two elastic tubes connected to a flexible aluminum bar.
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Free Weights: A set of light dumbbells or a light barbell is fine if you’re just starting out. If you’re more advanced, you may want a range of sizes. One very useful and space-saving piece of equipment is a set of adjustable dumbbells, which allow you to adjust a single dumbbell from 5 pounds up to over 50 pounds.
Stability Ball: This is the big ball that you can use for crunches, squats, sit-ups and even as a bouncy, moving desk chair. As an added bonus, you get the workout of pumping it full of air after you have it.
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Mat: I prefer a standard yoga mat, although there are thicker options if you happen to be a princess-and-the-pea type of exerciser.
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Foam Roller: A foam roller can be used for a warm-up or cool-down muscle massage, as a balance device, as a fulcrum for doing variations of crunches and back bridges, or as something you can roll on when you’re taking work breaks.
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Cardio Equipment: Here’s where you may need to start spending a bit more money. While a simple, inexpensive weighted jump rope will burn quite a few calories, you can even consider an elliptical trainer, treadmill or bicycle to keep somewhere in the office. Your local classifieds listing or Craiglist can often offer such equipment at much more affordable prices than purchasing new, but expect to spend anywhere from $200 to $600 on a decent piece of cardio equipment.
Tip #5: Grease the Groove
“Greasing the Groove” is a concept I originally discovered in a martial arts weight training book called The Naked Warrior. I talked about it in my episode 12 Unconventional Ways to Burn More Fat. The idea is basically this: Instead of doing a long workout at the gym, you simply spread your exercises throughout the day. This not only allows you to become proficient at certain movements, but also elevates your metabolism throughout the day. For example, I have a pull-up bar installed above the door of my office. Every time I walk under that bar, I have a rule that I have to do 5 pull-ups.
Other examples of Greasing the Groove include:
- Doing 20 body weight squats every time you go to the bathroom
- Doing 25 jumping jacks for every hour that you’re sitting at your desk
- Doing 10 push-ups during every commercial break of a television program
You get the idea. This concept is similar to a productivity idea called the “Pomodoro Technique” which stipulates that we are more productive with work cycles of, for example, 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off, or 50 minutes on and 10 minutes off. So during the off periods, simply Grease the Groove!
If you have more questions about how to hack your workplace to make you healthier, then join the conversation over at Facebook.com/GetFitGuy!
Stability ball, jumping jacks, and other images courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
