Having a desk job can keep you from moving about in a natural fashion if you let it. The less active you are at work, the more you’ll experience fatigue and stiffness, both mentally and physically. 

Taking the time to move around and creating a more comfortable environment for yourself may seem like wasted time. But your productivity can actually increase if you trust yourself to perform. Here are four ways that you can stay active at work, keep your blood flowing and boost your productivity:

1. Look at breaks in a different way 

There is one step that’s probably the most important to staying active at work. You must first break yourself of the mentality that working without breaks is the most productive way to work. This is not true! Researchers report that taking breaks of five minutes or less can increase a worker’s productivity by 13%. Thus, staying active can allow you to work more quickly, meaning that you can actually spend less time on work and still accomplish more.

2. Maintain proper hydration

Did you know that being dehydrated can make it harder to stay active at work? Unfortunately, far too many Americans don’t drink enough water. In fact, researchers estimate that about 75% of U.S. adults are chronically dehydrated. 

You don’t have to worry about drinking water with electrolytes or any special treatment other than purification to stay hydrated. However, making sure that your body always has enough water is a physical reality, not a mental trick, and depriving yourself is doing you no favors. Taking the time to ensure that you have the proper hydration can help keep blood flowing to your brain and your joints loose.

3. Stretch it out

Another way to ensure you can stay active at work is to stretch whenever you feel the urge. The body naturally gives you the feeling that you should stretch when it is feeling cloistered, and that means that your blood isn’t moving as well as it should. 

The great thing about stretching is that you don’t have to take a huge break to do it. The most that you may have to deal with is looking a bit weird at your desk. However, most people would take the odd looks to get a boost in productivity. 

4. Move your muscles outside of work

Your ability to stay active at work can also be affected by what you do off the job. For instance, moving your muscles when you’re not at work is important, and there are so many ways you can do so. 

Some people might consider taking a challenging class such as yoga or Zumba. Even doing 30 minutes of walking per day at a moderate pace can help improve your fitness. In turn, better fitness can help increase your productivity. It can also help reduce your risk of work injuries that might seriously affect your ability to get work tasks done. 

Looking for more ways to stay active at work? Rehab Access can help

If you’re looking for even more ways to stay active at work, our physical therapy team at Rehab Access is ready and willing to assist you. We offer complimentary screenings that can pinpoint issues that are affecting your work performance. Our team also excels at building personalized therapy plans designed to address work performance problems. 

Can’t come into our clinics for your therapy? No problem! Our team offers virtual care that can help you. This service involves you working with one of our therapy specialists over a secure online video link, and it can allow you to get the high-quality therapy you need without setting foot outside of your home. Even better, you can use this or any of our other therapy services without first getting a doctor’s referral. 

Contact our team today for more information about our therapy services or to schedule your complimentary screening.