From the dawn of humanity to desk job life

If you have a full time job in an office, congratulations then, you spend more than half of your life on your desk! And, come on, don’t try to foolish yourself it is okay. If we think about the essence of humankind we will come to the ultimate truth that biologically homo sapiens is not designed to sit still. We, as species, have the urge to move. Our bodies need to be active, not static. Motion is in our blood!

However, we humans, are awesome creatures because we are gifted to use our minds as well. We can develop, create, invent. And we work and use these skills not only to pay the bills but to make the world a better place, so we should keep it on. Most jobs nowadays are practically desk jobs. Sitting in the same still position along with staring at your monitor for a long time is not healthy at all. But having a desk job doesn’t mean the time you spend at the office should lack of motion. Making regular active ‘breaks’ will benefit your body and mind. At Dreamix we constantly try to provide a healthy and productive work environment. Here are some desk job ‘hacks’ which you can easily apply to make the time you spend at the office healthier and enjoyable. They work, trust me, we have tested them in our office! 🙂

Standing desks

А standing desk is awesome for avoiding the seated posture which I am sure you know how bad it is for your health. A standing desk keeps your spine straight, which reduces neck and back pains and also gives you the opportunity to move your body while you work. There are plenty of benefits from that: studies show that when you move, your body send endorphins to your brain which increases your mood, productivity and creativity. When you move, you provide better circulation of your blood which improves your focus and concentration. In addition, while standing, you burn more calories than while you are seated. Of course, in case you get tired of standing on your feet, you can always adjust the height of your standing desk back to regular so it becomes suitable for sitting on a chair.

Stability balls

If you want something more challenging, try replacing your chair with a stability ball (yes, exactly like the one you have seen they use in Pilates classes). Sitting on such (un)stable thing will involve your muscles in the process and, believe me, your body will thank you for that! This benefits your spine, your focus and your sense of balance. However, if you have never ever tried something alike, you will need a bit of practice to get used to it. Begin with 15-20 minutes ball session at first, then switch back to your chair, and then switch back to the ball. Sooner or later you will increase the time you spend on the ball and will find it really comfortable.

Fresh fruits

Having fresh fruits in your office kitchen is a great motivation to move away from your desk and make a small walk. They are perfect for treating yourself with a healthy snack between your main meals.

You can even challenge your colleagues to gain their ‘treat’. For example, you should make 10 push-ups to win an apple. (Of course, do not be that brutal with making them run 5 km around the office to win a banana 🙂 Try to motivate them, not to torture them.).

Having lunch out of the office

I know how charming it is to hit the “Order online” button and receive your lunch from the courier guy who comes right to your door. He gives you your lunch, you give him the money and everything is perfect. But come on, you spend all the day sitting on your chair. If you stand up from there only to meet the courier guy and to sit again in the kitchen, it is not good for your body at all. So if outside there isn’t a snowstorm, a hurricane or a flood, get your butt up and go out to have lunch! It will benefit you with a nice walk, some fresh air and a good talk with your colleagues. And what is more – it is eco-friendly, because in most cases it doesn’t require plastic bags and boxes, which are used for food delivery.

Outdoor activities & sports with the colleagues

If your office has some kind of garden or an outdoor terrain which you can use, get a pair of badminton rackets and a shuttlecock and go outside in the lunch break to play. And if you find a pair of trees nearby your office, get a slackline and challenge yourself with walking on it (or at least trying, but as you know – practice makes perfect). We bought one last week and we found it is the perfect fit when you want to move your body and refresh your mind after getting tired of sitting on your desk. You can think of any kind of activity which you can do in or around your office. Be creative! 🙂

Another thing you can do is to play sports together after work. We have an awesome football team at Dreamix which gathers regularly; some of us go to yoga classes together; some of us practice different kind of dances. There are plenty of options, find the best for your team and do it. It will benefit your health and, in addition, it is a great way to build your team!

I like to move it, move it… So let’s move it, move it

Our bodies are made to move. Sitting still is not our natural posture. However, office jobs require a sitting posture most of the time. However, this doesn’t mean you have to wave the white flag and give up from finding ways to hack the system. There are plenty of options to add motion to your desk job life in order to take care of your body and mind. Just be creative and have the proper mindset. 🙂 If you found this article useful, hit the share button or add a comment below.