Fit and finish: the active office

Give work a workout

Integrating active furniture and spaces in your office can help returning employees incorporate movement during the workday and reinforce your commitment to wellness in the workplace.

The Workspace Interiors team at ODP Business Solutions can help you create and furnish active areas with solutions like treadmill desks, active seating, and more. Look to us to help you equip your space so you can get your employees up and moving — and make static working and sedentary office environments a thing of the past.

Don’t take productivity sitting down

Sitting for long periods doesn’t just add more strain on the body, it can also affect digestion, mental health, weight, and blood pressure.* Regular activity can help improve circulation and oxygen flow to the brain, boosting energy levels, focus, and productivity — as well as help reduce risks of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.** Keep these seating options in mind:

Kneeling chairs help take pressure off the back by positioning the body in a kneeling stance and engaging the core while sitting
Exercise ball chairs engage peoples’ core and back muscles while sitting — improving posture and balance
Standing/perching stools provide an in-between option for sitting and standing that helps keep the spine more erect
Wobble stools tilt and rock from an unstable base, requiring balance and posture control

If you’re looking to gradually introduce active seating into your workspace — consider adding balance disc cushions to your current chairs to start. They engage the body’s core to remain balanced while seated and can be used on any chair.

*Source: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/sitting-health-risks
**Source: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/

Go from work surface to workout

When it comes to sedentary working, seating is often the first thing that comes to mind. But what about the types of desks being used? It turns out they can also play a big role in how active employees are. Standing burns more calories than sitting and can help improve posture and energy levels. Consider the following:

Standing desks get people up from their seats while working
Sit-stand desks can be easily adjusted to alternate between sitting and standing heights to reduce sedentary time
Treadmill desks allow employees to walk at a slow pace while working to keep them moving
Desk pedal exercisers can be used by employees to get in extra activity while seated

By viewing the desks in your office as potential solutions for fitness and exercise, you can help your staff increase movement and activity.

Give wellness a living space

Breaking up sedentary periods throughout the day can help you get your employees moving, actively engage muscles, and avoid static postures. Space design plays a key role in how you can help encourage motion and activity. Designating and implementing activity-promoting spaces can provide the following benefits:

Open floor plans provide room to stretch and move around naturally, which can help encourage and increase movement when compared to cramped spaces
Standing meeting areas featuring stand-up desks or high-top tables for stand-up meetings get employees on their feet
Outdoor walking paths encourage activity and provide fresh air

Did you know that active space design even extends to stairwells? By making stairs more visible and appealing, you can help promote their usage over elevators.

Outfit your office for activity

Refreshing the furniture in your workspace and designating specific areas for activity can be great ways to help encourage more activity among employees. But what else can be done? Even smaller, simpler solutions can go a long way. Consider the following options when looking for additional ways to help promote wellness in the workplace.

Conference rooms with whiteboards and stand-up tables can facilitate standing meetings
Printers, supplies, and other shared equipment can be placed away from desks so that people must get up frequently to access them
Centrally located water stations encourage hydration (and walking) trips
Technology such as laptops, wireless internet, and headsets help facilitate mobile working in non-desk locales throughout your office

Want to add some fun to workplace fitness? If you have underutilized spaces in your workplace, you can implement ping-pong, foosball, or even shuffleboard tables to encourage leisurely activity during breaks or after hours. And if you don’t have a dedicated space for gaming but still want to give employees the ability to get their game on (and some much-needed stress relief), consider tables that convert from working surfaces to regulation-size tennis tables.

By equipping your office with solutions that can help reduce sedentary working, you’ll not only be able to help promote wellness and facilitate activity, but also help boost morale, increase collaboration, and even energize workplace culture.

Get moving with Workspace Interiors

Workspace Interiors brings you a knowledgeable team with access to innovative furniture and ideas. We’re more than a furniture vendor. Workspace Interiors provides total turnkey solutions that suit your unique requirements, and we can manage any or all parts of the process.

Find out how we can help you support collaboration throughout your organization. Contact Workspace Interiors today.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is” and neither the author nor publisher warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.