Kin : Working out in the Workforce

Let me set the scene. Your alarm is set for 5:30am, to leave the house by 6:15am, to drop by the local coffee shop at 7am and start your workday by 7:30am. Staring back at you is a day full of meetings, and you promise yourself you WILL get that run in at lunch. Before you know it, it is 5pm, the day is over and you have done nothing but sit at your desk. Does all this sound too familiar? 60% of the working population face this problem daily. Imagine a world where the roles were reversed. Why do we continually make excuses not to exercise, yet have no problem spending 30 minutes waiting in line to drink multiple coffees a day. Imagine a world where the roles were reversed.

Why is it so hard?

Ask anyone who works 50+ hour weeks and their response will be 'I'm too busy to even think about exercise'. Hey, I've been there. I plan to make healthy choices, however I often find I don't have the willpower to follow through. It doesn't make it any easier when you feel the pressure to enjoy after work drinks, every night of the week. Full time work really is just that, full time. No one said it would be easy but it's about prioritisation.

Health is more than a number on the scales

So we have established you are busy, we get it. You've heard it all before, keeping active is 'good for you', but why is it? Research has shown regular physical activity improves life quality, with the potential to reduce the risk of chronic illness' such as diabetes, CVD and multiple mental health conditions. Not to mention its benefits in reducing stress. If you feel better, your mind will return the favour. And whilst at first it may seem hard, physical activity produces endorphins, which, amongst other things, improve your ability to sleep…. Ergo a form of stress relief in itself.

How can I stay active in office hours

So you don't have time before or after work to be active, don't stress, I have several solutions. Now I know this may seem a little unconventional but have you ever thought about an active meeting. This is a normal meeting, just taken outdoors. All the cool kids are doing it and believe me, it will get the creative juices flowing. Run office competitions on who can hold the longest plank or complete the most squats in 1 minute. The competition is healthy and improves camaraderie amongst employees. Have you ever thought about getting off a stop early on your bus route? Yes, you might have to wake up a little earlier, however you'll feel refreshed walking into the office.

How can I stay active outside of work hours

Now I am going to propose a crazy thought here, but have you ever realised that waking up an hour earlier will give you one whole extra hour to be productive in your day. Maybe even sneak a gym session in here or there. Yes I understand not everyone is a morning person, but you could become one. As I previously mentioned it is about prioritisation. You need to realise the benefit of being active throughout the day. And when you do, those 5am wake up calls may not be so bad.

So you see there really is no excuse. And if staying in shape only takes 2-3 hours a week, you definitely have the time. You just need to WANT to do it, it's that simple. Look at your day as a 24hr period. Out of that 24hr period you only need to dedicated 2.5% of your day to keeping active! You can do it, I know you can!