Things to do if you sit at a desk all day

Office life means waking up at the same time almost every day, battling traffic to get to work and then sitting at your desk for the next several hours.

Research has linked sitting down all day to a number of health problems.

Since desk life will not be going away anytime soon, here are a few things you can do to mitigate some of those negative effects.

Stay hydrated

Drinking water is important for overall health and even mild dehydration can cause moodiness and fatigue. Keep a bottle at your desk and sip throughout the day. Drinking more will also force you to get up from your desk every once in a while to refill and to use the bathroom.

Get up every hour
We’ve established that sitting for hours on end is bad for your health. Break up your sitting time, set an alarm on your phone or fitness tracker to remind you to get up every twenty minutes or at least once an hour. Take a walk around the office, stretch, just do something to get your blood flowing.

Zoom in

Zoom in or make your font size larger. Small text forces you to squint which leads to eye fatigue and headaches.

Rest your eyes
Also take screen breaks to rest your eyes, staring at a screen all day weakens your eyes and can lead to a number of eye problems.

Take breaks
Try the Pomodoro Technique. Break your tasks into intense 25-minute bursts of work, followed by five-minute breaks. This technique is said to help boost concentration.

Adjust your set up
Bad posture is an office plague. Raise the viewing angle of your monitor so that you can look straight ahead without adjusting the angle of your neck.

Sources: Shape, Time Magazine, Nerd Fitness, Bustle