It’s difficult to stay fit and healthy when you have a desk job that requires you to sit for hours on end. When we were younger, we instinctively knew that we weren’t meant to sit for long hours. We were instinctively able to know when to get up and go play. Call it a kid’s lack of discipline, but at the very least it helped keep us in great shape.

However, as we aged, we started playing less and started sitting more, which ultimately led to us "feeling" too tired – a tiredness that was brought on in the first place by our lack of physical activity. Now is the time to change that. Here's what you need to do to stay healthy whilst still holding down your desk job.

Take Frequent Walking Breaks

Research has shown that standing up and moving around for just 5-10 minutes after sitting 2-3 hours at a stretch gets your blood flowing again and burns off some cholesterol. So, do that frequently. Take a walk to the bathroom even when you don't need to, go to the water cooler, or just walk around your office. This will help you decompress your back and get your energy up.

Park 3-5 Blocks Away

Ever wondered why diabetes and obesity are often associated with sedentary living? Think about it: we drive to work sitting down, get out of the car, and in less than five minutes, we are in the office on our behinds again.

With the exception of the occasional trip to the bathroom or coffee stand, we'll be sitting down until we close at work. Then, it's back to the car and sitting down again. This does not help at all! Instead, make it a point to park at least 3-5 blocks away from your office most of the week. Then, walk down from there to and from the office. This will help you get some exercise and keep you healthy too.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Do you want to know the best way to resist ordering some donuts or settling for some hotdog mid-morning? It is by having a healthy breakfast. It does not have to be heavy – we all know how quickly a big meal will sap your strength, just get something healthy in you along with your coffee. Just some eggs and bread with some oranges and apples will do just fine.

Pack Your Own Lunch

Not only is packing your lunch good for your finances, you'll also be able to choose what you eat. Pack some healthy foods and have some nuts available as snacks. If you are allergic to nuts, one or two apples will go a long way.

Not only will this prevent you from adding weight, it will also help you get rid of antioxidants and free radicals. You also get to eat healthier. Keep away from junk food too. It doesn’t do anything for you other than slow down your heart rate, clog up your arteries, make you fat and simply unhealthy.

Drink Lots of Water

Water is your friend. Avoid vending machines like the plague. Soda, grape juice or anything with sugars aren’t good for you. So, elect to drink more water. Not only will this keep you hydrated, it will force you to go to the bathroom more frequently, which means more walking breaks. Drinking lots of water also helps your body get rid of toxic buildup and flushes your system.

Exercise Frequently Outside of Work

Yes, this is important. We know that it might be a difficult thing to do during the week because of your busy schedule, but you should at least try it during the weekends. Try running, going to the gym, walking for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make out time to keep fit. It is the only way you can stay healthy, ward off aging and live a long healthy life in spite of your desk job.

As you can see, these are all simple things that you can do off the job and on the job. Try them, and you'll find that you’ll have more energy levels, increased confidence and better feeling of wellbeing. 

About the author:

Oscar King works as a fitness coach in Florida helping people to find ways to squeeze exercise into even the most sedentary of lifestyles, and consults with businesses on ways to improve employee and keep employees generally healthy. For helping to prevent safety mishaps that may be the result of poor fitness, he recommends visiting http://www.ecompliance.com. You can find out more about Oscar by visiting his Google+.