Staying healthy (23)
- Cosmetic surgery: What to know beforehand
- Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?
- Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy
- see all in Staying healthy
Dental care (7)
- Oral health: Brush up on dental care basics
- Oral health: A window to your overall health
- Bad breath
- see all in Dental care
Skin care (17)
- Best sunscreen: Understand sunscreen options
- Sunless tanning: What you need to know
- Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions
- see all in Skin care
Nail care (1)
- Fingernails: Do's and don'ts for healthy nails
Eye care (9)
- Contact lenses: What to know before you buy
- Eye injury: Tips to protect vision
- Farsightedness
- see all in Eye care
Sleep (7)
- Napping: Do's and don'ts for healthy adults
- Sleep aids: Understand over-the-counter options
- Sleep tips: 7 steps to better sleep
- see all in Sleep
Mental health (11)
- Empty nest syndrome: Tips for coping
- Self-esteem: 4 steps to feel better about yourself
- Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?
- see all in Mental health
Healthy relationships (9)
- Infidelity: Mending your marriage after an affair
- Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness
- Domestic violence against men: Know the signs
- see all in Healthy relationships
Healthy at work (12)
- Travel workout: Fitness tips for business travelers
- Back pain at work: Preventing pain and injury
- Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide
- see all in Healthy at work
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
continued:
Workplace exercises: How to burn calories at work
No. 6: Get social
Organize a lunchtime walking group. You might be surrounded by people who are ready to lace up their walking shoes — and hold each other accountable for regular exercise. Enjoy the camaraderie, and offer encouragement to one another when the going gets tough.
No. 7: Conduct meetings on the go
When it's practical, schedule walking meetings or walking brainstorming sessions. Do laps inside your building or, if the weather cooperates, take your walking meetings outdoors.
No. 8: Pick up the pace
If your job involves walking, do it faster. The more you walk and the quicker your pace, the greater the benefits.
No. 9: If you travel for work, plan ahead
If you're stuck in an airport waiting for a plane, grab your bags and take a brisk walk. Choose a hotel that has fitness facilities — such as treadmills, weight machines or a pool — or bring your equipment with you. Jump-ropes and resistance bands are easy to sneak into a suitcase. Of course, you can do jumping jacks, crunches and other simple exercises without any equipment at all.
No. 10: Try a treadmill desk
If you're ready to take workplace exercise to the next level, consider a more focused walk-and-work approach. If you can safely and comfortably position your work surface above a treadmill — with a computer screen on a stand, a keyboard on a table or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk — you might be able to walk while you work. In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that overweight office workers who replace sitting computer time with walking computer time by two to three hours a day could lose 44 to 66 pounds (20 to 30 kilograms) in a year. The pace doesn't need to be brisk, nor do you need to break a sweat. The faster you walk, however, the more calories you'll burn.
Want more ideas for workplace exercises? Schedule a walking meeting to brainstorm ideas with your supervisors or co-workers. Remember, any physical activity counts!
Previous page(2 of 2)
- McCrady SK, et al. Sedentariness at work: How much do we really sit? Obesity. 2009;17:2103.
- Beers EA, et al. Increasing passive energy expenditure during clerical work. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2008;103:353.
- Levine JA, et al. The energy expenditure of using a "walk-and-work" desk for office workers with obesity. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2007;41:558.
- Thompson WG, et al. Feasibility of a walking workstation to increase daily walking. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2008;42:225.
- Levine JA, et al. Move a Little, Lose a Lot. New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishing Group; 2009:53.
- 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. Accessed June 23, 2011.
- Armiger P, et al. Stretching for Functional Flexibility. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2010:141.
- Ohlinger CM, et al. The effect of active workstation use on measures of cognition, attention, and motor skill. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2011;8:119.
Find Mayo Clinic on