New Guidelines Encourage Office Fitness

Businessman sitting next to stack of documents on desk, clocks on wall ((c) Jack Hollingsworth)

The United States Department of Health has issued new exercise guidelines to combat America’s high level of obesity that can be carried out in the workplace rather than the gym.

Basic tips include standing up while talking on the phone and taking the stairs as much as possible.

How often do we email or instant message a coworker two rows away? The simple act of getting up and walking to his or her cubicle can significantly improve one’s health and fulfill part of the recommended 2 and a half hours of exercise per week, roughly 30 minutes per day, according to the Department of Health.

In addition, the DOH recommends adults complete two muscle strengthening sessions a week, which can be satisfied by heavy lifting around the office.

Only a third of American adults complete the suggested exercise amount. Children over the age of 5 are recommended to exercise twice as much as adults.

Previous studies have shown that women who stay inactive at a desk for more than six hours a day are 40 percent more likely to die of heart disease or cancer.

Click here to read more from the Daily Mail.