We’ve all seen it in the office—the chocolate on the desk, doughnuts in the meeting, leftover cookies in the kitchen and yes, even a White Castle Crave Case magically appears in the break room. It’s all so hard to resist and seems to appear right when the cravings hit….and so the “Office 15” begins.
The news has been full of reports lately that working in an office and desk jobs are detrimental to our health in many ways. According to Business Insider: 75 percent of workers who use a computer suffer from eye and vision problems and 1 million workers call in sick to work every day due to stress. But the biggest issue of all—we’re getting fat.
Our desk job society hardly has any physical labor and if your office is anything like mine—snacks and treats are EVERYWHERE. This is causing a much higher increase in weight gain, obesity and health problems among corporations everywhere. Or like in my case, that extra 5-15 pounds that you have gained since first starting your job is the main issue.
How can you keep from gaining the Office 15? It’s not easy, but with a little focus, effort and a LOT of willpower, you CAN do it. Here are some other tips to try.
Take the Stairs
Whenever and wherever you can!
Exercise Ball
Many people in offices use these in place of chairs at their desk. It helps with balance, posture, core strength and possibly burning a few more calories without even realizing the effort!
Short Walks
Even if you can’t get outside, take short walk breaks around the office at least once per hour. And if you can’t go anywhere, just do a couple jumping jacks or other types of stationary movement!
Healthy Snacks
Keep a little stash at your desk for healthy snacking when tempted by the “bad stuff”- nuts, sugar snap peas or carrots (any low maintenance veggie) and of course simple fruit can be good and easy!
Remove the Temptation/Distract Yourself
Try stretching, make a cup of tea, pop in a piece of gum or a mint and it can even be good to use this “temptation” time to return calls or the other little task items you’ve been “saving for later.”
Don’t be another Office 15 victim! It can be tough to stay strong, resist treats and temptations and try to be healthy but you will be much happier and healthier if you do.