Written by: Sabrina Singh
It’s January – the month of new year’s resolutions and setting goals…fitness being top-of-mind for many. According to a 2021 Statistca study on resolutions, 50% of surveyed Americans resolved to improve their fitness. Yet, another Statistca study from 2018 found that only 4% of respondents fully followed through with their resolutions…yikes!
This leads us to ask – where does the disconnect lie, and why is it so difficult to form healthy habits? One of the simplest answers comes to where we are spending our time. On a workday, the average, middle-aged American spends:
- 8-9 hours at work (BLS)
- ~1 hour round trip commuting (ABC News)
- ~1 hour in the bathroom/getting ready (Studyfinds)
- 67 minutes eating & drinking (USDA)*
*this is time spent primarily eating & drinking…an additional 23.5 min on average are spent eating & drinking, while multi-tasking
Given that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep (CDC), this leaves us with about 4 hours of “free time” per day. While this may seem like a fair amount, it does not account for meal prep, familial obligations, or many of the other daily tasks that demand our time.
Long story short…it is difficult to squeeze a new fitness routine into a full workday. So, here are 3 free ways to align our busy schedules with our fitness goals:
- 1. Turn your breaks into “energy sessions.” Anytime you take a break, commit to leaving your chair. Whether it’s going for a quick walk around the office, making some trips up and down the stairs, or just doing a standing stretch session, LEAVE YOUR CHAIR. This will get your blood flowing and ensure you’re staying mobile throughout the day.
- 2. Turn your tasks into a fitness game. Depending on your job, determine some recurring tasks or benchmarks and set a fitness trigger for each of them. Here are some examples to get you started:
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- When you hang up a call, do 10 desk push-ups
- Every 10 email responses = do 5 squats
- Get creative with it! And treat it like a game…in addition to being more active, those mundane tasks might be a bit more fun.
- 3. Get your co-workers involved. Once your game plan is set, share it! Having others hold you accountable is one of the best ways to stay on track. Working these “energy sessions” and fitness games into your team is also a wonderful bonding opportunity!
With these 3 free, easy additions to your workday, you can become part of the 4% that stick to their new year’s resolutions and goals.
Additionally, as a leader, it becomes increasingly important that your employees feel comfortable making these healthy changes. Make sure you foster an environment where these activities are welcomed and encouraged. One way to do this is to conduct a climate assessment so you can ensure your culture fosters open communication and encourages healthy habits.
Whether you’re an organizational leader, or an employee working from home, healthy habits don’t need to be time-consuming. So get working, get active, and get inspired for a healthier 2022!
Civility Partners has been recognized among the Top 10 California HR Outsourcing Companies in 2022 by DesignRush
