I am a program associate for Playworks. We consider ourselves Jacks (or Jills) of all trades in our various offices around the country. We must be flexible. One minute, I could be giving a volunteer orientation to a dozen college students; the next, I might be acting as league coordinator for our interscholastic volleyball leagues. These moments are perks of working as an office staff member for a nonprofit entity that believes wholeheartedly in the positive impact of play (at any age!)
While I love working for Playworks and feel that it is the most high energy work environment I’ve been a part of, I must admit that my job is primarily of the desk persuasion. In order to keep my energy up and my sedentary-ocity (That’s a word, right?) down, I’ve taken a few steps to get the most activity out of my work day.
- Ditch the chair and stand. You don’t need fancy furniture to do this. Stack up cardboard boxes to prop up your computer. Standing burns more calories than sitting and provides a wider range of motion. Squats while updating our Customer Relationship Management system? Don’t mind if I do!
- TAKE YOUR RECESS! Playworks encourages everyone to take recess every afternoon to play a quick game, stretch, or even take a walk around the block. If your workplace doesn’t have recess, bring the benefits to powers that be and make it happen. (Ashoka did!)
- Wiggle. You’re already standing , right? There is no reason to read a brief, a memo, or a research paper standing still. But there are TONS of reasons to wiggle, fidget, or dance around. The research shows every little moment counts.
- I am WAY more focused. Sitting makes not only my body, but my mind, lazier.
- I am finding even more creative ways to make my workday/place more active and healthy.
- I’ve lost a little weight!
- I get tired a lot less often.
What do you do to be active and healthy at work?
