More than 80 percent of workers spend most of their day sitting, according to the American Heart Association. Prolonged sedentary behavior can result in negative health consequences, and Bryant’s Jason Sawyer, Ph.D., notes that one of the highest associations between health and mortality is the amount of movement we get.
“That's why it’s incredibly important to get moving and spend less time sitting,” says the associate professor and director of Bryant’s Exercise and Movement Science program.
If you’ve become a creature of habit and find yourself attached to your computer and office chair eight hours a day, five days a week, Sawyer offers four quick and simple ways to add movement throughout the workday:
1. Try exercise microdosing
Exercise microdosing is changing the paradigm of exercise, according to Sawyer. This concept — which involves brief, targeted movement breaks throughout the day — strays from the traditional recommendation of aerobic exercise and encourages 10-minute increments of continuous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.
“Currently, research shows that exercise microdosing is effective at improving aerobic fitness and decreasing the risk for mortality,” Sawyer says.
Research suggests that quickly climbing stairs for 20 to 30 seconds three times per day for three days per week can be helpful. Individuals can also try bodyweight movements such as squats, jumping jacks, or pushups.
2. Increase your steps
The typical office worker averages 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day, though Sawyer suggests aiming for 10,000. When you sit for long periods of time, your body’s skeletal muscle pump begins to weaken. This pump aids the heart in blood circulation, so moving around will help return blood to the heart from the lower extremities more efficiently.
To get in extra steps, Sawyer says to prioritize the stairs rather than the elevator. Going up stairs will activate the glutes since you're going against gravity, which can help maintain muscle mass health. Additionally, parking your car farther from your destination and getting up to refill your water bottle or coffee cup can help you reach your step goal.
“Realistically, you should only sit 30 to 60 minutes straight,” Sawyer says. “A deconditioned individual can expect that heart contractility will decrease, and the heart won't be able to pump as hard because, literally, it's a lack of heart muscle. By sitting, we're not stressing the body, and it then can't respond when it's stressed.”
3. Test out desk fitness equipment
Tracing back to the 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci is one of the earliest known users of the standing desk. The heightened working surface experienced a modern resurgence in the early 2000s. While standing desks can help you burn more calories and assist in preserving skeletal muscle mass, these devices are not a replacement for movement throughout the day.
Sawyer notes that there are a variety of desk fitness equipment options that facilitate passive movement. You can try under-the-desk bike pedals where you can simply sit in your chair and pedal while you type, a BOSU ball that you sit on to engage the core, or an under-the-desk treadmill to use at your standing desk.
4. Do a group activity during lunch
Lunch breaks are a great time for adding a longer exercise break that can leave you feeling refreshed and more productive. Sawyer suggests joining or starting a walk group or dropping in on a group exercise class. Completing an activity as a group is key.
“If someone’s waiting for you, you’re more likely to actually go and do it,” Sawyer says, noting how you’ll build community through the experience.
