A productive office emphasizes smart movement over a sedentary lifestyle. It’s important to learn how to energize your office with movement that’s good for the body, mind and overall well-being of employees. Moving comes in many ways that are beneficial.
The Problem with Not Moving
Sitting during the workday begins before you arrive at the office. Once you leave home, you may be sitting in the car for thirty minutes and up to an hour on freeways and streets.
Guess what’s happening during that time?
Stress is building. Yesterday’s troubles may still on your mind, or you may have to change routes because of an accident. Anxiousness can kick in while you wonder if you’re going to make it into the office in time for that important meeting or call.
Your mind is active, but you’re physically confined.
So when you get to the office and make it to your workstation, you may be buzzing inside and all fidgety when you’re confined at your desk again.
Sound familiar?
Photo: OFS Genus Chair and Heya Lounge
In recent office history, employees were considered productive when they were sitting at desks and quietly absorbed in their work. The longer they sat still, the better. Those who stretched or got up often for a drink of water or trip to the bathroom were suspected of not focusing or working hard.
In the modern office, that attitude is changing with plenty of studies showing the benefits of moving instead of remaining in one physical place or posture.
Why?
Sitting or standing in one position stresses knees, elbows and ligaments. Posture suffers as well, and parts of the body like the neck and shoulders and lower back muscles get strained and sore. It’s a physics principal that works on inanimate objects, too, like recreational vehicles (RVs).
RVs that aren’t driven need to be on blocks so weight is taken off the tires. The air in the tires won’t circulate and the vehicle’s pressure will ultimately ruin the treads. Our bodies are similar.
Sitting at a desk for a few hours at a time makes you like that RV stuck in the driveway, especially if you’re at a workstation that doesn’t support your natural body movements.
Wonder why your brain gets foggy?
Photo: Maverick Height Adjustable Table
When your blood isn’t circulating well then you have less oxygen flowing to where your thinking occurs.
Movement helps you maximize personal productivity. That’s why it’s important to remember to energize your office with movement.
The Benefits of Movement in the Office
Moving is essential for learning because it ignites our mental functions. When you’re moving, blood is flowing to the brain.
Changing positions reduces weight on specific points of the body and minimizes stress on your joints.
A study advising ‘sit less, move more,’ available as an abstract by the National Institutes of Health, notes that the use of active work stations reduces fatigue levels and lower back discomfort.
The study, focused on six universities in Spain, concluded that simply reducing “insufficient physical activity” by 10 minutes had health benefits. Ratcheting movement up to two hours a day was highly recommended.
Photo: Energize your office with movement with Humanscale Office Ergonomics
Here are simple ways to add movement in the office and promote employee wellness.
- Supply ergonomic chairs that support a person’s weight and allow natural movements
- Use height adjustable desks
- Think of “90/10” – 90 minutes in one position, followed by 10 minutes of movement
- Encourage stretching exercises at workstations
- Use good posture while on phone calls
- Allow working in different areas, including out of the office
- Take brief walks at lunchtime
- Make water breaks part of the day
- Install a treadmill or two if space allows
- Bring in a masseuse once or twice a month to give chair massages
Quality ergonomic chairs like the Humanscale Freedom Task Chair are engineered for movement. A chair like this adjusts to the user’s weight automatically, including a “weight-sensitive recline system.” Armrests are adjustable allowing for a comfortable posture when typing on a keyboard and looking at a monitor.
Photo: Humanscale Freedom Chair
Desks like the Maverick Height Adjustable Desk are useful for executive offices, reception areas or for shared work surfaces. An employee can sit with a desk surface that’s just right for them or raise the desktop and stand to change positions.
Make Movement Part of the Office Culture
Moving more in the office means you’ll also have to trust employees for acting responsibly and to take charge of accomplishing their goals. Don’t expect to look over their shoulders and micro-manage their work.
Stay in communication. Set deadlines they have to meet, no matter the location they’re in.
Photo: AIS Height Adjustable Table
The Covid-19 pandemic tossed the office environment into chaos when stay-at-home orders were issued and the familiar workplace suddenly changed. Virtual meetings became normal and expected.
If you have employees who want to sit at their workstations and then switch locations to another part of the office temporarily that form of movement can be healthy. If someone wants to go home early and finish the workday there, or even in a park, then that could a helpful way to minimize stress.
A smartphone itself is an amazing communication tool with its access to social media platforms that allow video and text messaging for updates and progress reports from anywhere with a wi-fi signal.
Movement doesn’t mean a lack of productivity or skipping out on work.
Space Planning is Essential
Photo: AIS Day to Day Powerbeam
The team at 2010 Office Furniture knows that an office isn’t just a collection of useful furniture. They’ll help you arrange your workspace to help energize your office with movement, to promote office health, productivity and effective communication.
Share your office design and space planning needs with 2010 Office to get the layout that addresses your needs most effectively.
2010 Office Furniture supplies Southern California’s most distinguished companies, from large corporations and prestigious universities to leading nonprofits in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Contact 2010 Office Furniture and share your thoughts.
Read Also: Social Distancing Tips and Adjusting to the Realities of Covid-19 in the Office
Main Photo: AMQ Kinex Workstations
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: AMQ Solutions, OFS, Maverick Desk, Humanscale & AIS