Does your job have equal mix of sitting and being on your feet?

First Place: Strength Training  

Second Place: Mobility

Third Place:  Daily Activity 

If you are spending your days getting your steps in and only partially desk or seat bound then you are in a position to really lean into whatever you enjoy most.

FIRST PRIORITY

My suggestion is to prioritize strength as improving here often improves the other two. 

Although you are on your feet more than many, the amount of sitting you do will still potentially shorten those hip flexors which then impacts everything else around the hips (low back, hips, and then down to the knees). The good news is, if you are able to move somewhat often, then this reduces the chances of this happening. 

To really protect against this though, a bit of strength training through full ranges of motion will serve you well. This not only will create stronger muscle tissue, but it will also help increase its flexibility as exercise requires the muscle to lengthen when done well. 

Mobility is the close second here, but the reasons are the same as above. To protect against all of the pain that seems to be tied to the hips (Low back and knees most often). Your daily steps are great for keeping blood flowing through tissue which is necessary for them to stay ready. But when we walk, we don’t really use any joint to its full end range of motion. That means those joints can stiffen at either end basically trapping you into the narrow range of motion you had used most. 

SECOND PRIORITY

Mobility drills and exercises will help to reclaim those ranges of motion and it will help those affected muscles to regain their pliability. 

THIRD PRIORITY

Finally, daily activity should not be entirely disregarded. There are surely days where you are stuck sitting more than you are accustomed to. And, although daily steps are great, we do want to build a bit of an aerobic base regardless of our goals. So getting our heart rate up but keeping it sustainable for a workout or a run every once in a while is still very useful. 

TIPS: 

- Focus on being strong in the end ranges of motion for each joint or each exercise movement

- Electrolytes are still very useful - Even though you may not sweat throughout your normal day at work, your brain is still burning through electrolytes. Use a serving or two of an electrolyte supplement each day and see if you notice a difference.

The primary ingredients you are looking for are the sodium, the potassium, and the magnesium. There is really no need for sugar. And the hydration beverages sold in convenience stores are rarely great. Pedialyte (the original formula) is the gold standard has it is literally used to rehydrate babies (and it has no sodium).

The company does now produce very effective hydration drinks for those older than 5 that do include sodium. Then you have LMNT and then my favorite brand, Re-Lyte (twice as much potassium than LMNT). 

- Your approach to each workout should be based on how your body is feeling. If you have the energy, then push the pace as hard as you can maintain the required technique. And on the days where the body is tired, find moments to focus your intensity and cruise through the rest.