Five Ways to Stay Fit when Working a Desk Job
- hellodonaldsonnutr
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
Lots of jobs in this day in age require hours deskwork: Administrative Support roles, Research Assistants, Healthcare roles, IT, Customer service, Graphic Designers etc. Most people know that exercise and eating well are good for our health, but these can be difficult to achieve when working a sedentary desk job.
On average, Canadian adults are sitting almost 10 hours per day (1), so it's safe to say that sedentary behaviours are common - even among those who may not work desk jobs.
What are the health risks of being sedentary?
Sedentary behaviours are an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular related mortality (2)
Researchers found the more time spent being sedentary the greater the risk in developing (2, 3):
Type 2 Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Metabolic Syndrome
Weight gain and obesity
Sedentary behaviours are associated with a moderate increase in lower back pain in adults (4)
Prolonged sitting may be associated with decreases in mobility among various populations including post-secondary students and older adults (4, 5, 6).
Fortunately, we can find ways to make desk jobs more active so that we can support our health and fitness goals. Here are FIVE ways you can try to maintain a healthier lifestyle while working a desk job.
1) Take advantage of your lunch break
Use your lunch break as an opportunity to change up your environment and move your body. This can also give you a mid-day mental reset! For example, if you have a 60 minute lunch break, try to walk for at least 15 minutes.
Listening to podcasts or music, or having a friend join you can make your walks a little more enjoyable. If you can't walk during lunch breaks, find other times to move during the day. This might include light walking during phone calls, using a standing desk, or walking pad if you work remotely.
2) Be Aware of your Mealtime Environment
Distractions while eating can interfere with our hunger and fullness cues, and lead us to eat mindlessly.
POV: You're at the movie theatre and realize you've eaten almost 1/2 your bag of popcorn... despite just finishing the commercials. This is because watching TV is distracting you from your feelings of fullness.
So ask yourself about your mealtime environment at work - are you eating while responding to emails? are you eating at your desk? are you eating with other people? are you eating while scrolling through TikTok? Be aware of how your mealtime environments might be influencing your hunger and fullness cues, and be sure to eat mindfully if there are potential distractions.
3) Set a realistic Step Target
If you have a Smart watch or even a phone, you can probably track your steps. Increasing your steps is a great way to increase your physical activity. First, find what your average step count is by monitoring your steps for a few days without changing any habits. This gives you your baseline, which can help you set a realistic goal. For example, if your average step count is about 5000 per day, try to aim for 7000.
For reference, it takes about 10-15 minutes to walk 1000 steps depending on pace
4) Prep your meals
When compared to breakfast and dinner, lunch is the main meal that is eaten outside of the home most often. Because of this, it can be easy to buy fast food or takeout for lunch.
Prepping your meals at home can give you more control in ensuring your lunch has enough protein, carbs, fruit and veggies.
5) Hydrate well
It can be easy to forget to drink enough water, especially if you're someone who tends to get sucked up into your work. Adequate fluid intake is important for maintaining proper fluid balance, regulating body temperature, supporting good digestion, supporting heart health and much more. Poor hydration can lead to increased fatigue and impaired cognitive function. And if you're someone who trains after work, be mindful that being suboptimally hydrated when going into a workout can lead to performance deficits. To avoid these risks, try to drink enough water throughout the day while at work. Some ways to help you drink more include:
Set a reminder on your phone (ex: take a few sips of water every 30 - 60 minutes. Bonus if you also make a reminder to take a short walk)
Place water bottles or glasses in multiple locations
This works best when working at home. For example, I have a bottle of water at my desk, and have a glass of water by my bathroom and kitchen sink. Walking past any of these areas will give me a physical reminder to drink!
Enhance your water
Can use a storebought water enhancer such as Mio, or Crystal Light, or can add other ingredients to your water such as lemon, lime and/or orange slices, mint leaves, lavender, ginger root, or frozen berries
Checking your pee is a helpful way to know if you're drinking enough water
The Bottom Line
Desk jobs can have a significant long term impact on our bodies, which can make it harder for people to stay healthy. Making small, consistent changes, is key for overall sustainability.
As a dietitian, I work with many clients who are employed at desk jobs. We are able to work together to improve their strength, help them lose weight and much more.
Book a free discovery call to see how a dietitian can help you meet your health and fitness goals.
(1) Colley, R. C., Lang, J. J., Saunders, T. J., Roberts, K. C., Butler, G. P., & Prince, S. A. How sendentary are Canadian adults? It depends on the measure. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 82-003-X ISSN 1209-1367, 2022
(2) Raynor, H. A., Bond, D. S., Freedson, P. S., & Sisson, S. B. (2012). Sedentary behaviors, weight, and health and disease risks. Journal of obesity, 2012, 852743. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/852743
(3) Lee, I. M., Shiroma, E. J., Lobelo, F., Puska, P., Blair, S. N., Katzmarzyk, P. T., & Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group (2012). Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. Lancet (London, England), 380(9838), 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61031-9
(4) Baradaran Mahdavi, S., Riahi, R., Vahdatpour, B., & Kelishadi, R. (2021). Association between sedentary behavior and low back pain; A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health promotion perspectives, 11(4), 393–410. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.50
(5) Yen, C. H., Ku, M. H., & Wang, C. Y. (2017). Self-reported Sitting Time is Associated With Decreased Mobility in Older Adults. Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001), 40(3), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.1519/JPT.0000000000000092
(6) Heneghan, N. R., Baker, G., Thomas, K., Falla, D., & Rushton, A. (2018). What is the effect of prolonged sitting and physical activity on thoracic spine mobility? An observational study of young adults in a UK university setting. BMJ open, 8(5), e019371. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019371