Sometimes it feels like we just don’t have enough time in the day for a proper workout. With our jobs taking up a large chunk of our day and a slew of responsibilities waiting for us when we get back home, many people choose to skip working out simply because they think they have no time to do so.

If you’re interested in getting fit but feel you don’t have the time for it, you may want to consider doing some fitness on the clock. While we can’t recommend running a marathon or pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion while at your job, there are steps you can take to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. In this incredibly swole article, we’ve compiled some of the best advice on how to be active at work so your gains won’t be such a pain.

Bike or Walk to Work

If you live close enough to work, leave the car in the garage and take your bike to work. If you’re really close, you can probably just walk it. Not only does biking or walking to work save on gas money, but it also introduces some early-morning cardio that can help stimulate your brain through the first half of the day. Besides, you won’t have to deal with all of that bumper-to-bumper, rush hour traffic.

Unfortunately, not all of us live close enough to our jobs to make this a feasible option. At the same time, most people will easily overestimate the time it takes to bike or walk, so you may want to test the commute time on the weekend just to be sure.

Park in the Back

You’ve probably heard this before. Why park right up at the front of the parking lot when you could park in the back instead? This way, you can get some extra steps in on the way to your desk. You are also making the front spots available for employees who need them more, such as the elderly, pregnant women, those with disabilities, and those dealing with an emergency.

Take the Stairs

Here’s another common piece of advice. Waiting to stuff yourself in a crowded elevator does little good for the body. Alternatively, you can opt for the flight of stairs. The stairs are a great way of strengthening your leg muscles and getting in some light cardio.

Take a Break and Move

Desk jobs are defined by long periods of sitting in one place. Unfortunately, this kind of sustained physical inactivity is detrimental to your health, significantly increasing your personal risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer and stroke.

After spending 30 to 60 minutes sitting at your desk, give yourself a moment to stand up and move around. You can take a lap around the office, or you can go up and down a few flights of stairs. This not only keeps those nasty health risks at bay, but it also minimizes fatigue and keeps you stimulated throughout your day.

Stretch at Your Desk

Sometimes, however, we can’t just get up from our desks whenever we want. Whether we’re stuck in a long meeting or we have a lot of work due by the end of the day, sometimes our jobs necessitate sitting at our desks for extended periods.

If this is the case for you, you can still get some physical activity in by stretching at your desk. Healthline has a great article covering a variety of stretches you can perform without having to leave your seat. These stretches work on key areas of the body, including the arms, shoulders, and most importantly, the back.

Walk Instead of Calling or Messaging

You know what doesn’t burn calories? Making calls and sending messages while seated at your desk. You know what does burn calories? Getting up, walking over to the coworker you need to talk to, and delivering the message in person.

While this method isn’t as immediate as an email or a text message, it involves a lot more physical activity. This also gives you an opportunity to meet your coworkers face-to-face and build rapport at the office.

Try a Sit-Stand Desk

Depending on your position and where you work, this isn’t always an option. However, if your workplace will allow it, consider replacing your regular desk with a sit-stand desk. This popular and versatile piece of office furniture allows you to switch between sitting and standing as you perform the duties of your job, inducing some healthy fidgeting as you change your position throughout the day.

Make the Most of Your Lunch

Lunchtime is the perfect time for getting in some physical activity. If you’ve got half an hour or more to spare, consider leaving the building and taking a walk around the neighborhood. Perhaps you can find a quiet park to calm your mind, or you can distract yourself by browsing the local shops. Those who took the bike to work can squeeze in some extra cycling time at lunch.

If your lunchtime is more limited, try to do some exercise with the space and time you have available. This can take the form of going up and down a couple flights of stairs, taking a lap or two around the building, or doing some stretches/yoga in the break room. Your lunch is your free time at work, so use it to your advantage. Just don’t forget to eat!

Walking Meetings

Few things bring on the fatigue like a droning Zoom meeting where you’re stuck at your desk. Therefore, make your meetings more lively by having them on the move. Walking meetings keep you alert and focused on the subject at hand. Moreover, by getting on your feet and moving around, you allow your brain to generate fresh, new ideas more naturally.

Office Fitness Challenge

Why make exercise an individual endeavor when it could be a company-wide goal? For instance, you can buy pedometers for everyone in the office and offer a prize to whoever can get the most steps in within a certain amount of time. Or you can plan for company outings with ample physical activity, such as pickleball or golf.

At the same time, you ought to be careful when creating your fitness challenges. You don’t want a challenge that’s too easy or a reward that’s too plain so that nobody is interested. On the other hand, if you make the challenge too hard or the reward too desirable, your employees may push themselves beyond what is healthy, like the characters in The Office during the weight loss episodes.

Cooling Down

Fitness is so important for so many reasons. It helps us sleep, it supports our immune system, it keeps our muscles strong, it keeps our minds sharp, and frankly, it keeps us alive. However, many of us feel like every second of our day is taken up by errands, responsibilities, and other obligations. Until we can find a way to set time aside for exercise, we need to maximize our daily routine.

Some of these tips can be quite the commitment, such as biking to work or purchasing a sit-stand desk. Yet other tips, such as parking in the back of the lot and delivering your messages in person, are more than doable and can easily be integrated into our day-to-day lives. Lifestyle changes don’t always have to be big and dramatic; sometimes they can be small and gradual. All it takes from you is a dedication toward working on yourself.