6 Good Habits to Keep You Healthy at Your Desk Job

Does your current job or lifestyle have you stuck at a desk for hours on end? For many of us, sitting is an important part of our day. Unfortunately, there’s reasonable evidence to suggest that our sedentary lifestyles are negatively impacting our overall health. But when sitting is inevitable, what are we to do about it?

Developing and practicing small, healthy habits throughout the day can lead to big health benefits in the long run. Luckily, there are many easy ways to keep yourself healthy while working a desk job. Consider the following 6 good habits to incorporate into your routine today.

1) Dress for comfort

Some stylish office apparel can limit your range of motion. Tight shoulder seams and constricting waists can lead to improper breathing and poor posture. Besides distracting you with discomfort, ill-fitting clothing can lead to aches and pains that prevent you from being active or, worse, result in injuries.

An easy solution is to wear comfortable, custom business clothes. With business attire for men, custom business attire for women and unisex styles readily available, everyone can benefit from stylish yet comfortable custom business casual work uniforms. You’ll have the confidence of positively representing your company, and the comfort of wearing clothing that doesn’t restrict your movement. Pro tip: Have your company logo added to the apparel and instantly elevate your office’s vibe.

2) Stretch

Now here’s an easy start. You probably do this one daily without even realizing it. Stretching is a healthy habit because it is good for our muscles, tendons, ligaments and overall posture. What’s more? A few minutes of stretching benefits blood flow and releases tension in areas of the body that hold stress. A good stretch can also calm down our nervous system so we can think more clearly and stay alert! Plus, maintaining proper flexibility is a key component to the body’s physical health and can lessen the chance of injuries from happening on and off the job. That’s good news for your HR and your weekend warrior softball league.

Here’s how to reap all these benefits while you’re at work: Set a timer or alarm to go off a few times a day that are convenient for you. When the timer sounds, get up and stretch right at your desk. Reach up, down, side to side – whatever feels good! Pro tip: Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds and remember to take deep belly breaths.

3) Keep water at your desk

Another simple step to staying healthy at your desk job is to stay hydrated. Indoor environments are often low in humidity. Our bodies, on the contrary, are humid in nature. Here’s a quick science lesson: For the room to achieve homeostasis with us in it, the air is pulling moisture from our bodies in order to equalize the humidity. The result? Our bodies are losing water, just from sitting in a dry room.

Restore that lost water by keeping a refillable water bottle at your desk. The bigger the bottle, the more water you’ll drink! Pro tip: Flavored waters and electrolyte drinks work, too. Just be sure they have no sugar added.

4) Take walks often

Taking brief strolls throughout the day is a great way to stay healthy at a desk job. There is certainly no shortage of benefits of taking a walk. Walking makes our muscles stronger, including our hearts! It also shores up our bones, lightens our mood and can help us sleep better at night. In fact, walking is known for increasing creativity, making it a great asset to problem solving or crafting any communications.

Make walking a regular part of your day. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind yourself to get up and move around. Suggestions vary on what the optimal sit/walk time ratio should be. But just know that every step you take is better than no steps at all! Pro tip: Keep supportive walking shoes at your desk to wear on your strolls so you can support your arches and maintain good posture.

5) Get outside

Taking a break during the day to get some fresh air is an easy healthy habit you can incorporate into your desk job. Whether you’re taking an afternoon walk or lunching at a picnic table, being in the sun will boost your vitamin D, a mineral the body needs to perform important functions. Plus, looking at and surrounding yourself in nature is linked to lessening anxiety, improving focus and even helping you feel better about yourself.

To make outside time a part of your every day, you’ll need to own the weather. A great way to do this is to stock your desk with a variety of custom corporate apparel that you can quickly change in and out of as you need. If it’s warm outside, a mesh polo with your company logo on it can keep you cool and dressed appropriately should you see coworkers or customers. Alternatively, colder weather is easily combatted with a company logo jacket or sweater. Pro tip: Schedule outside time into your day and commit to it like you would any other meeting on your calendar.

6) Workout... at your desk

Exercise in all ways, shapes and forms is incredible for our bodies. Just like walking and stretching, performing intentional body movements benefits our brains, hearts, lungs, muscles, moods and quality of life! You don’t need a gym membership to get moving. A quick internet search will provide a plethora of simple movements you can perform right at your desk. Remember, every minute adds up, so do what you can, when you can!

Make it simple for yourself by keeping some extra clothing at your desk in case you get sweaty. A spare custom logo polo shirt and a pair of Khakis in your business backpack is a great option for a comfortable, breathable, outfit to have on hand if you are feeling overheated or have a embroidered uniform work sweater in case someone has the AC cranked too high. Keep yourself healthy and moving without the stress of sweat stains or uncomfortable post-workout dampness. Pro tip: Head to a bathroom or locker room and change into company logo apparel before or after your desk workout so you can feel good about your appearance all day long.

These ideas may sound simple, but keep in mind that small changes over time add up to big results. Every healthy habit you incorporate into your days will set you up for a better tomorrow. Wellness is a lifelong journey, not a destination, so enjoy every day!