Yes, I Brought My Gym Bag to the Office
Endorphins Against Insanity
I know I look like a crazy bag lady when I walk into the office some mornings. I already carry an obnoxiously large, Mary Poppins-esque work bag and then add an even more cumbersome backpack containing sneakers, mismatched socks, wrinkled clothes, headphones, water bottles, protein bars, and so on—all that I shove uncomfortably under my desk.
You can imagine the harried look on my face, precariously balancing my coffee mug, as I stagger into the office awkwardly laden with work and workout stuff.
Good morning!
But, yes, I am one of those people. I brought my gym bag to the office. I will apologize if it’s in the way, but I will not apologize for bringing it. I need to bring that gym bag because I need to go to the gym and I need to do it pretty much as soon as I leave the office.
Why? There are several run-of-the-mill reasons:
I mindlessly eat at my desk all day and need a visibly nagging reminder to do the opposite after work
If I go home before the gym then I’m probably just going to stay home
I’d rather wash all the dishes and do all the laundry than try to work out at home
Even if I say I will, I’m probably not going to go to the gym on the weekends
And then there’s some off-the-treadmill benefits that keep me inspired to lug it into the office:
Better sleep
Better attitude
Better mental health
Although physical health is typically the first thing that comes to mind when you see a gym bag, those last points are my biggest motivators. And those benefits blend into the office nicely—hitting the gym can bulk up those muscles, but it’s also shown to bulk up those necessary soft skills too.
But let’s start on location to truly understand why working out is so important.
Let’s start in the office.
Is My Desk Killing Me?
Source: Human Resources Online
Jeez, don’t be so dramatic. But the sedentary lifestyle associated with a desk job does, in fact, increase the risk of some major (and, yes, potentially life-threatening) health issues.
So I guess we can’t say your desk straight up putting a hit out on you, but it certainly is a complicit character contributing to your health concerns.
While plenty of modern workplaces offer standing desks and encourage frequent movement, a lot of us are still sitting for roughly 8 hours a day. Factor in commute time and binging shows on the couch and it all starts to add up to a dreaded sedentary lifestyle (dun dun dunnnn).
According to the National Institute of Health, living that sedentary lifestyle is directly linked with increasing several extreme health risks, including:
Cardiovascular disease
Type 2 diabetes
Certain forms of cancers
What’s more, multiple studies have found that individuals who sat for more than 8 hours a day with low physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risks posed by obesity and smoking. Even if all those ominous risks don’t scare you, 1 in 4 desk workers report spine-related problems, like neck and back pain or shoulder pain and finger numbness. Plus desk jobs are notorious for carpal tunnel, migraines and eye problems.
Source: FreePik.com
So although a desk job may not actually be a death sentence, it can still be a literal pain with long-lasting health effects.
But—spoiler alert—a little bit of exercise can go a long way! From alleviating back pain to reducing the more serious chronic health concerns, physical activity can be magical when it comes to desk-dwelling woes.
So exercise makes you physically healthier—no duh. We all know that. But what keeps me bringing that gym bag every morning are the other benefits working out can bring into the office.
Slim Down on Stress & Strengthen Those Soft Skills
Remember how I mentioned that gym time can beef up soft skills? I wasn’t just talking from my own personal experience.
Sidenote: You can ask my coworkers if they can tell when I’m off my normal workout schedule—the answer is begrudgingly yes.
Studies have found that regular workouts have real impact on both quality and quantity of work, with participants scoring:
21% higher concentration on work
22% higher for finishing their work on time
25% higher for working without unscheduled breaks
41% for feeling motivated to work
And, overall, a whopping 79% of participants reported better mental and interpersonal performance on days they exercised.
Bottom line: exercise can affect so much more than employee waistlines.
I’m Not a Gym Rat, I’m an Endorphin Junkie
Although most of that stuff is common knowledge, I still dragged my feet when it came to working out for the first few years of my desk job. I was always either too busy or too tired to make it a priority.
But slowly I realized my regular routine—wake up, go to work, leave work, have some drinks, go to bed—wasn’t really relaxing or stress-relieving. In fact, over time it only made things worse. I wasn’t taking care of myself physically or mentally, and (as shallow as it is) once I saw a certain number on the scale I knew I had to do something.
I entered the gym hoping exercise would just help me lost weight, but I discovered something far more incentivizing to keep coming back: ENDORPHINS!
Nicknamed the “feel good” chemicals, endorphins are happy little helpers that naturally occur in your brain from exercise that reduce stress and increase sensations of euphoria (like the “runner’s high”). Endorphins contribute to a number of positive cognitive benefits that directly tie into those boosted soft skills:
Improved concentration
Sharper memory
Faster learning
Prolonged mental stamina
Enhanced creativity
Lower stress
There is real science behind why I am not such a god-awful person to be around when I have a good workout routine. Although my initial goal was all about the physical, it turned out to be those other benefits that keep me going.
Source: CoachJennyM.Blogspot.com
Endorphins took me from the edge of utter burnout to having real optimism back in my life. I am a naturally stressed out person with a history of poor coping mechanisms (food, alcohol, codependent relationships, etc.) and the gym gave me mental clarity and a sense of relief that no amount of venting sessions over happy hours could achieve.
So I bring my gym bag to the office not just as a reminder to go after work, but also to give myself a little reassurance that even if my workday is stressful, I’ll feel better soon.
