Don’t Let Your Office Job Keep You From Moving

You hear the Move Your DNA message: you need more movement spread throughout your day, not just more exercise. But how is that possible if you work a conventional 9–5 office job?

Join biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram as they walk through a typical day for an office worker, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., looking at ways to find more movement both during and beyond the workday. They share practical ideas for building movement into how you get dressed, shower, eat, commute, work, do chores, relax and spend time with family and friends — without needing to carve out more hours for exercise.

At 9 a.m., Katy is joined by Sohail Shariff, co-founder of Movemate, to explore how to bring more movement into your workstation while staying productive. They discuss why simply switching from sitting to standing isn't necessarily the answer, and how varying your position is both “cyclical movement” and “cyclical rest,” allowing different parts of the body to take turns being moved and loaded. Your low back will thank you!

Katy and Jeannette also discuss getting away from your workstation to move and tackle a common concern: won't taking movement breaks make me less productive? Katy suggests that stepping away can actually support productivity and shares some of her own “tells” that she's no longer doing focused work — like jumping between tasks — explaining how recognising these moments can become a cue to move and then return to the task refreshed.

Whether you're tied to a desk for 8 hours or simply spend too much of your day sitting, this episode offers practical ways to find more movement throughout the whole day.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00:00 – Getting more movement when you have an office job
00:03:43 – Dynamic Collective sponsors
00:06:15 – Start with the most flexible hours of your day: moving more outside work hours
00:06:58 – 6am to 9am: opportunities for movement in how you shower, eat breakfast and commute
00:15:50 – 9am: dynamic workstation with Sohail Shariff of Movemate
00:35:34 – 10am to 5pm: upper-body office moves, eye exercises, roaming meetings and active lunch breaks
00:49:36 – 5pm to 10pm: everyday movement around food, family time and sleep
01:03:17 – Listener question: how do I move more and still be productive

Connect with Movemate™

Find out more about the board · Movemate on Instagram

Books mentioned

I Know I Should Exercise But… by Diana Hill and Katy Bowman
My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman
Diastasis Recti by Katy Bowman
How to Get More Movement in a 9–5 by Katy Bowman
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Walk When the Moon Is Full by Frances Hamerstrom

Podcasts mentioned

Ep 184: Dynamic Wardrobes: How Clothes Can Restrict, Encourage or Stabilize Movement
Ep 212: Use Your Eyes and Ears to Improve the Way You Move

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