As anyone who reads the news knows by now,sitting all day long is killing us.Even if we work out,the effects of slouching behind our monitors will eventually catch up to us.New office furniture,like treadmill desks and the like,promise some relief.But what if you can't talk the boss into letting you make the switch?There are still plenty of things you can do to—as Monty Python would say—"get a little walking in."Here are five of our favorites.
1.Have Your Meetings Walking
Pedi-conferencing isn't just for Aaron Sorkin characters anymore.Whenever possible,have your meetings while walking,instead of sitting around a conference table practicing your interested face.In addition to conferring the health benefits of not sitting,this option also gives you a good excuse for keeping meetings on the short side.
2.Have Standing Meetings
If your office is too small for the walk-and-talk,try standing instead.Many companies have adopted this system in recent years to encourage people to speed things up.All those people shifting from foot to foot is a great inducement to keep the speechifying to a minimum.
3.Suggest a Treadmill Desk
"But wait,"you say."Isn't the point of this article that my boss isn't going to let me have a treadmill desk,and yet I would still like to avoid dying early of sitting too much?"Well,yes.But many companies have had good luck with introducing a few treadmill desks and allowing workers to sign up for them on a shift basis.And you can always use the"lower health care costs"angle,which has the benefit of being true.
4.Ask for a Standing Desk
Standing desks are cheaper than treadmill desks,and easier to install in most cubicles.If the boss is anti-treadmill desk for cost reasons,you might have more luck persuading him or her to let you try one of these instead.As an added bonus,your cubicle mates won't have to listen to those annoying treadmill sounds while they're trying to get on with their sedentary work experience.
5.Create Your Own Standing Desk
If your boss really isn't going for any extra expenditures,you can always ask for permission to create your own.Lifehacker has a great article with a few super-cheap standing desks.The least expensive one is a DIY model,using IKEA components,that costs only$25.
