Office Yoga? Is that a thing?
Well, lots of people seem to be talking about it online at the moment, and as I’ve recently fallen in love with fitness (despite being chained to a desk 35 hours a week), I thought this campaign was very apt to share with you all.
A recent article, written by the Telegraph’s Health Editor this summer, told us that ‘office workers must exercise for an hour a day to counter death risk‘. Whilst this sounds dramatic, I tend to agree that a sedentary lifestyle can make you feel sluggish and lacking energy, so I do advocate that getting as much movement as you can into your day, makes you feel great. It doesn’t just affect the way you feel, but also how you look and (most importantly, to me) how many calories you can consume! Move more, eat more. That seems to be my motto at the moment!
We are all different, in terms of our abilities, stamina, strength and motivation, and whilst the article doesn’t advice everyone should join a gym or a sports team, it does cite that employers should do more to encourage workers to be more active during their working day.
Personally, I try to get out each lunchtime at least for a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes. But, depending on how busy I am this is not always realistic. I also go to the gym three times a week and spread this over evenings and weekends, depending on my other plans and energy levels.
Doing it for the food.
One of the best benefits of being more active, for me personally is, it means I don’t have to worry as much about what I eat. I still take care when planning my meals, and follow a healthy diet where possible, but, knowing that I am actively burning calories on a regular basis gives me peace of mind that I won’t just start piling on the pounds. I find that a mixture of strength training (using weights in the gym), HIIT (either at a gym class or at home) and cardio (I prefer spin, walking or swimming) sees me through the week and keeps me feeling great. I have met some lovely people at my gym classes and can honestly say I have never felt better!
Yoga is something I would love to master, but I have yet to find a class in my local area that I can actually get to on time. Nor have I found the time to fit it in at home. So, this seems like the perfect opportunity to start from the comfort of my work desk, I just hope my boss doesn’t mind!
The guys at Furniture at Work, ergonomic office furniture specialists, have teamed up with Manchester Yoga Central to bring us this video; featuring office-themed yoga moves to highlight the importance of incorporating movement into your day.
For a bit of extra reading, check out these great fitness posts from my friends. Katie, fellow foodie blogger at Frankie’s Weekend gives her favourite HIIT workouts, and Vicki, a professional personal trainer in Manchester, shows us how to work those glutes. Perfect if you sit on your arse most of the day!
