Deskercise and other easy office health hacks

For a lot of us, “manual labor” is not in our 9am- 5pm vocab. Instead, our desk chairs see a lot of our behinds and the only thing our upper bodies suffer from is the occasional carpal tunnel ping. Having a desk job in an air conditioned office is fantastic but our bodies aren’t getting any stronger when we’re sitting idly of hours on end.

Short of running suicides on your lunch break, here are a few best practices for staying healthy during your day job:

Add a straw: It may seem minor but adding a straw to your drinking vessel is a sneaky way to consume more water throughout the day. Picking up your glass and tiling back for a drink can actually deter you from hydrating yourself. With the straw, all you have to do is put the bottle in front of your keyboard, lean forward, and wah-lah, subconscious drinking 9am- 5pm.

Nix the elevator: The tallest building in Columbus is the Rhodes Tower with 41 floors. We don’t encourage you to take all 41 by stairs but stepping a couple flights won’t kill you. In fact, an early morning adrenaline rush like that could be your ticket to endorphins that keep your energy up the rest of the day. Two flights of stairs is no Brazilian butt workout but hey, it’s a start.

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PACK: Reclaim control over what goes into your body. Wake up a few minute early to prepare yourself a lunch free of sugar condiments, crispy casings, and other processed what-cha-ma-call-its.

Limit snacking: If you’re anything like us, you’ll keep chowing on food if it sits in front of you. Instead of bringing the whole bag of pistachios, bring only a small bagful. That way you can smash your hunger without the possibility of overeating.

+ yoga ball: Not only are yoga balls more fun than boring desk chairs, they’re also better for your physique. Because you’re constantly keeping your balance on the bouncy orb, your core gets a ton of work. Remember to focus on your posture though; without a back, you may be inclined to slouch. For pros, try extending one leg straight out to work each oblique and hamstring.

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