Ways to Stay Healthy at Work

It’s easy to slip into a sedentary daily routine.Vending machines, happy hours and a comfortable air-conditioned atmosphere: Desk jobs don’t do much for healthy habits. Before long, you may start to wish you hadn’t eaten that cheeseburger at lunch, or that you had gone to the gym before work. But don’t worry: There are simple ways to get back on track without drastically changing your daily routine.

Start off on the right foot.

The more you can get up and walk, the better, says registered dietitian Keri Gans, who’s an Eat + Runblogger for U.S. News. Start your day by parking as far as you can from your office building. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way. And when you arrive at work, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Prepare for a snack attack.

Make sure you have healthy food available to curb periodic hunger, so you don’t reach for chips or cookies. Nuts, granola bars and fresh fruit are smart staples to have on hand. “No matter how stationary someone’s job is, they tend to get up when they’re hungry,” Gans says. “So instead of making [your] one walking break to the vending machine, have everything available right at [your] desk.”

Brown bag it.

Simple packed lunches, like turkey or peanut butter and jelly on whole-grain bread, can prevent poor choices during lunch. If you don’t have refrigerator access, see if that can change. “Ask your boss if you can bring a dorm-sized refrigerator,” says registered dietitian Mitzi Dulan, an Eat + Run blogger. Store it under your desk with some 1 percent cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.

Order smart.

If your co-workers are going out to lunch, encourage them to put some thought into their dining decisions. “Be the one who suggests healthy food options so you’re not influenced by [others’] poor choices,” Gans says. Also, try to pre-determine your best options. “Look up menus before you go out to eat,” Gans says. “Take advantage of that computer, because you’re on it anyway.”

Try some desk-ercises.

Not everyone has an office door to privately exercise behind. The Mayo Clinic recommends taking fitness breaks for gentle stretching or mild exercises using portable equipment such as resistance bands and small hand weights. Or trade your desk chair for an exercise ball. Other suggestions include doing 15- to 30-second leg lifts underneath your desk, or holding your leg behind you to stretch it during a water break.

Just keep moving.

It’s important to keep moving throughout the day. Get up at lunch and take a walk instead of sitting in the break room. Walk to your co-worker’s desk instead of emailing her a question. “Also, drink plenty of fluids throughout the day because that could end up being [your] only form of exercise … walking to the bathroom,” Gans says.

Save sweets for special occasions.

Sure, it’s fun to celebrate co-workers’ birthdays, retirements and other special achievements. But the treats that come with those celebrations add up over time, Gans says. Suggest that the office set aside one day a month for dessert festivities, instead of marking, say, five special occasions a month.

Limit after-work drinks.

Happy hour is a chance to bond with your office mates, but it also encourages empty calories. “Instead of consuming those calories at the office, you’re just doing that somewhere else: at a barstool,” Gans says. Instead of having three beers, have one. (A pint of beer tacks about 200 calories onto your daily intake.) Have fun, but be mindful of what you’re putting into your body.

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