Do you work in an office? I am lucky that I am able to walk around all day plus I walk up and down stairs daily for my job. But I know that there are allot of my friends and family and people in general that work in an office. Trying to stay healthy while you have the distraction of morning coffee and donuts, as well as sitting all day long can be tough. I was trying to think of some ways that you can continue to stay healthy even while you are at work.
1. Walk Around- Take quick breaks to walk around. Get up out of your chair and just walk to an adjacent wall and walk back and sit down. IF you are lucky to have an office that is closed off, utilize speaker phone and walk around your office while you are talking to people on the phone.
2. Drink Water- Do you drink soda or coffee at your desk. Replace some of them with water. I know a woman who would drink 5-6 cans of Mountain Dew a day at her desk. At 110 Calories per can you are looking at 550-650 of your daily caloric intake on SODA! I understand sometimes you need to have the caffeine, but by replacing 3 or 4 of those sodas with a big glass of water not only are you reducing your caloric intake but you are giving your body something it really needs. Water prevents cramping (Charley horses in the feet or legs), it also helps your body digest and liquefy food that you consume. Water is good for your skin, it has been said that by drinking 8 glasses of water one can see visible changes in the color of the skin in their faces. But the best benefit to drinking water is that it curbs your hunger. By drinking water you might be able to pass up the cream filled chocolate donuts, or the girl scout cookies that your coworker just brought in.
3. Stretch - Stretching helps to provide better circulation to other parts of the body. By having better circulation you become more alert and will feel increased energy levels. Stretching is sometimes something we do unconsciously, (what is the first thing you do when you get up out of your chair...you stretch yourself out as tall as you can get. It feels good!!). If you can try to take a 2 minute stretch break every hour or so. Nothing to difficult. Roll your head from side to side a few times. Reach for the ceiling, reach for the ground. Pull your right arm across your body and point to the wall on your left, now pull your left arm across your body and point to the wall on your right. Put your right arm behind your head and point to the floor (think scratching your back) gently push on your elbow, repeat with your left arm. Roll your ankles around. If your wardrobe permits it, sneak in a quick squat or two. Trust me your joints and muscles will thank you!
4. Wash your hands - This tip is pretty self explanatory. Wash your hands and wash them often. No one likes to be sick, washing your hands will help you combat the germ-fest that is an office. Keep Lysol (or a similar brand) wipes handy, these are great for cleaning your desk and the germs that are on it, at the end of the day.
5. Use your vacation days - Heck you earned them, use them. Even if you do not have a vacation planned take days off periodically to help you get caught up on what ever you need to get caught up on, laundry, dishes or even sleep.
~ko
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