Guest post by Susan Melony

You spend a significant part of your life behind a desk. Desk jobs can be a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, it’s nice to not be a roofer working on top of a skyscraper in the middle of a hot and humid summer or freezing cold winter. On the other hand, being tied to a chair is not without hazards, either. In fact, sitting in a chair for hours at a time, let alone all day, without getting up to move, can cause a number of health problems, both acute and chronic.

The choices you make while sitting, in terms of health and wellness, are an important part of making sure you have a healthy lifestyle overall. Most people who sit behind a desk for 6-8 hours a day then go home and sit in front of a tv or device. Research has shown that excessive sitting is bad for your heart, belly, brain and just about every other body part you can name. An analysis of 13 studies on sitting has demonstrated that people who have little to no physical activity other than sitting are at a risk for dying that is similar to the risks you face from smoking or obesity, When you’re not making healthy choices at work, it’s not just a health concern. Your productivity is probably suffering as a result as well.

There are small, easy ways you can change your lifestyle when you’re at work. You can incorporate these tips into your workday and improve your health outcomes while boosting productivity. The changes don’t have to be huge to have a significant effect. They can be minimal and incremental but have a very real impact on your overall health.

This infographic from Nifty Benefits shows some simple ways to change your habits at work that will have a very real impact on your overall health.

Susan Melony is a blogger, editor, and digital nomad. Because she spends her life on the road, she knows how important food, vitamins, and minerals are to keep the body healthy and thriving. Susan is a lifelong learner and believes everything she writes needs to be backed up by scientific studies and research. Coincidentally, Susan loves reading about food, looking at photos of food, and (if she’s really lucky) eating good food.

Like this? Please pin!