“Sneak It In Week” aimed at getting us out of our chairs and moving

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It’s “Sneak It In Week” a campaign hosted by Participaction to get people up and moving during the work day. Only 15 per cent of us are getting the minimum recommended amount of physical activity. We often use the excuse that we’re tired when we finally get home. Well, the folks at Participaction want to erase that reason by encouraging you to add little bursts of physical activity throughout your work day. We’ve all heard of sitting disease – research has shown people who sit for prolonged periods are 20 per cent more likely to die of cancer or heart disease. And unfortunately, most of us with office jobs are glued to our chairs.

But what if we found ways to incorporate little bits of exercise into our workday? Allana LeBlanc, from Participaction says “not only do we want Canadians to move more, we want them to sit less. So during ‘Sneak It In Week’, it’s all about breaking up that sitting time as well.”

At the Participaction office in Toronto, staff have several strategies for staying active. and they are in overdrive during “Sneak It In Week”. Kettle bells are an option for a lunch break workout- and standing desks encourage employees to spend time on their feet. But equipment isn’t required for an active work day.

“Instead of sitting around the boardroom table, get up, walk around, have a stand for a bit. Make it a sitting optional meeting.” You can also incorporate fitness into your existing breaks during the day. For example, while you’re waiting for the coffee to brew, go out into the hallway, do a wall sit and work out your legs. Peddling or pulling resistance bands during a discussion can count for 10 minutes of your recommended weekly activity.

Allana also recommends “150 minutes of activity of moderate to vigorous intensity a week – and what’s really great about this is that you can get those in as small a bout as ten minutes.”

Sneaking It In doesn’t just get your blood pumping, it can reinvigorate your whole office. Taking 10 minutes to exercise will send you back to work with renewed focus and energy.