NHS figures show that the average person only does between 3,000 and 4,000 steps each day.
With 81% of UK office workers spending between four and nine hours each day sitting at their desk, equating to 67 sedentary days per worker each year*, it can be tricky to figure out how to make your time spent at work more active.
As such, the Altro team has pulled together their 5 top tips on how to make desk work more active, without completely uphauling your working day routine. See below:
- Get a standing desk (or standing desk converter)
Standing desks – or standing desk converters that sit on top of traditional desks – can help you burn calories, improve posture, reduce back pain, and some people even report improved concentration.
Any extra time spent on your feet will help to get you closer to the 10k step goal, but you could even commit one step further with an under-desk walking pad. The walking pad trend has exploded on TikTok, with #walkingpad having over 578M views. Some users claim their walking pads have helped them walk over 16 miles in a single working day.
- Utilise your lunch break
Lunch breaks for desk workers usually range between 30 minutes to an hour, making this an excellent gap in the day to get moving.
Why not dedicate half of the time you get for your lunch to heading outside for a brisk walk? Walking after lunch can provide a much-needed break from a busy or stressful morning.
- Consider walking to work
Depending on how far you live from your place of work, walking to work can be an excellent way to get your steps in, especially as we get into the nicer weather.
If your office is a bit further out, why not consider parking your car a little further away than usual, or getting off your public transport a few stops early?
Even if you got off a mile early, that’s roughly an extra 2,000 steps, and will only add about 15 minutes to your journey. If a mile seems like too long to start with, go for a half mile at first and ease your way up.
- Find or set up a walking group
For many people, exercising alone, especially if it’s not something they do regularly, can feel daunting.
Walking groups have been on the rise recently, with many people using them for a sense of community or safety.
Getting out just one night a week after work, especially as the nights get lighter is an excellent way to wind down after work. Why not set up a night a week to walk with coworkers? Or, if you’re a fully remote worker, why not suggest a virtual walk-and-talk to encourage your colleagues to get out too?
- Take more calls on the move
It’s estimated that workers spend an average of about 27 days each year in ‘pointless’ meetings that could be emails – that’s the equivalent of about 213 working hours.
If you’re working remotely, it can be easy to become disengaged from virtual meetings, especially when you’re sitting for long spells, so taking any calls you have on the move can be a great way to stay focussed.
Walking for an hour can burn anywhere between 200 and 350 calories and will equal about 6-8,000 steps.
By taking a period of the day that you would’ve spent sitting, and making it an active part of your day instead, can also be hugely beneficial for your health. Especially if you commit to doing it a few times a week.
Sarah de los Rios, Sales and Marketing Director at Altro commented:
Getting active, and avoiding transport where we can isn’t just great for our wellbeing but also for the planet.
Sarah de los Rios, Sales and Marketing Director at Altro
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
