Vital everyday work: tips for healthy work

A major study by the University of London (one of the most renowned universities in the world) proved this years ago: Desk/screen workers can avert health risks from too little movement just by regularly fidgeting, repositioning, stretching, or walking 2 minutes per hour. You should definitely read this study and other articles on the health benefits of a vital workday - it will motivate you strongly.

The way to work can be used to increase physical fitness: Instead of looking for the nearest parking space for your car, deliberately park a few hundred meters away to walk to the office. Train and bus passengers can get off a few stops earlier. If the office is not too far away, you can also walk or bike all the way.

Don't wait for the elevator. The office on the second or third floor is quicker to reach via the stairs anyway. With each additional floor, the gain for your health also increases. A vital workday thus increases your health considerably.

The cohort study presented above has proven with 14,000 participants: If you don't sit still and rigidly in front of your desk but "fidget" a little more often, you're only doing your health good.

Vital people feel a natural need to stretch and stretch extensively from time to time. You, too should reawaken this physical need:

Stretch and stretch as soon as your thoughts get "stuck"

The solution to the problem is usually not long in coming after this little exercise session.

Get into the habit of walking around the office during long phone calls; this helps you sort out your thoughts much better. Seek out your colleagues in person when there is something to clarify. Take every other opportunity to alternate between sitting, standing, and walking. This is how a vital workday keeps your mind on its toes.

Ergonomically shaped seating furniture is part of today's basic equipment. Still, the latest generation of modern seating furniture can do even more: it moves with you. It encourages you to move a little more each time you change position, resulting in significantly more movement throughout the day. Even more, movement is provided by a height-adjustable desk at which you occasionally work standing up. Ergonomic keyboards and mice are also very good at counteracting static sitting in one position.

There are "thought jams" that can't be solved by a short stretch. But they can certainly be solved by a little workout that takes your thoughts in a completely different direction for a few minutes: a few movement exercises such as shoulder circles or knee bends get your body and mind moving.

Don't have lunch delivered, but go to the restaurant yourself. The "moving break" is perfect if you integrate a short digestive walk on the way back to the office.

A second piece of seating furniture can bring a lot more variety into the movement: Use a sitting ball in between, which constantly forces you to balance and thus almost incidentally strengthens several different muscle groups.

A little more attention to the body's natural need for movement is the real cornerstone of your new flexibility. Maintain this attention - and add variety to your daily exercises more often so that more muscles and muscle groups are trained sustainably.