Fitness Tips for Small Business Owners

Easy Ways to Stay Fit with a Busy Schedule

Small business owners would love to be more active, but when long hours in the office or store run into the evening it can be hard to fit in any exercise. This lack of movement is only exasperated by the fact that many business owners sit behind a desk most of the day which can add to health risks overall. The good news is that being a business owner means you can add flexibility into your schedule and with some planning and creativity, being more active can be easily attainable.

Start Standing at Your Desk

Simple changes in a work space can help aid in better fitness. For starters, invest in some form of a standing desk instead of consistently using a traditional, sitting desk. Standing, as opposed to sitting down, helps to increase blood flow throughout the body and especially to the brain as well as better posture and improved alertness. These changes in the body can help health overall, not to mention increased blood flow to the brain and alertness will help with efficiency and accuracy with work. 

Although professional experts suggest purchasing a retractable desk there usually is not an extra $1,000 in the business’s budget. A great alternative to purchasing a standing desk is utilizing a high cabinet or even adding a small podium to raise your existing desk. If standing for long periods of time to work seems overwhelming, start by setting a goal to stand while completing certain tasks or for set time periods throughout the day and build from there.

Change Your Seat

A more common change that helps boost overall fitness is replacing a regular desk chair with an exercise ball, also known as a yoga or stability ball. Making this easy switch can benefit health by engaging and strengthening core muscles and improving posture. For those suffering with back pain, using a stability ball for desk work has been proven to give some relief. When choosing an exercise ball for this purpose, make sure you can sit comfortably and easily reach all the necessary items on your desk.

Walk During Meetings

Instead of everyone piling into a conference room to meet, why not have walking meetings? Since small business owners usually have fewer employees than larger corporations, walking meetings are completely possible with a smaller group of colleagues. Have a conference call for the next hour? Why not take the call on the go! Using meeting time that is otherwise spent sitting in a chair or on the phone is a very easy way to fit in your daily exercise and start getting more fit.

Many small business owners do not have enough time in their days to get to the gym or go for a long run. But, owners also have the flexibility to work fitness in throughout the day when they can – items like standing desks and stability ball chairs as well as walking meetings are simple ways to improve fitness without using a large amount of time. By making simple changes to the things that are done in the office every day, business professionals can take big steps to being more fit and more healthy.

Now that we have you straightened out on fitness, let's get you started making more money! If you are interested in having a small business mentor like Stacy O'Quinn, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Joe Hoover via Creative Commons License