10 ways to stay fit at work

Top 10 ways to stay healthy at work

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to the business of life. This New Year start by making small and meaningful changes in your lifestyle that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.  

Despite the fact that Americans work more than any industrialized country in the world, we take fewer vacations, retire older and work longer days. This alone can impact ones health and can lead them to chronic conditions like high blood pressure, arthritis, depression and obesity. The average American works 35-45 hours a week, and in cities with larger populations, it can be as high as 50 hours!

You need to decide that fitness and wellness are important to you and then take measured steps towards your goal. Don’t over extend yourself and exercise like never before to achieve your fitness and wellness goals. This year try to do something different...

1    1. Meal planning and portion control

80% of losing weight depends on your diet. The science is simple “calories in, calories out”. The objective is to burn more calories than you consume. Try to plan your lunches and dinners so that you don’t over eat. Even if you have a client meeting at a restaurant, look up their menus in advance or ask the waiter to “put the sauce on the side” or have it “grilled instead of fried”. Portion control is important because without it, you are more likely to over eat. Having visual cues on how much a serving of veggies or rice looks like can help you make better decisions. For example, one cup of rice or pasta is the size of a tennis ball.   

2. Stretching

Sitting at a desk for more than 2 hours at a time causes the muscles, ligaments, and tendons to become shorter. Do simple stretches at your desk to help elongate the muscles and decrease pain (especially back pain). Tight hamstrings can be a precursor to low back pain, and tight shoulders can lead to neck pain or migraines.

3.  Organize a boot camp/ fitness class

Grab a group of buddies and organize a fitness class. With camaraderie and moral support, you can achieve weight loss together. Select a certain date, time, and location to meet up and work out for an hour.

      4.  Take stairs, or go for a walk

If you’re not experiencing any hip, knee, or ankle pain, then taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a great way to improve cardiovascular endurance and build up the strength in your legs. Taking walks throughout the day are great as well, but with less impact on the knees.

      5 . Set your workstation to improve your posture

Setting up your work space can help prevent back and neck pain, tight muscles, and poor posture. Modifying the sitting posture in an office chair can work wonders for your muscles and joints. Utilize the lumbar support in your office chair and position the computer at eye level so you’re looking straight ahead.

6.  Exercise in your office (planks, jumping jacks, pushups, squats)

If possible, try doing some circuit training in your office for 30 minutes a day. It can improve your fitness levels tremendously. Here is an example circuit that should take less than 30 minutes to complete and uses no weights or machines: 1 min plank hold (a plank is when you are lying face down with elbows under shoulder and toes/knees on the floor, pull yourself up and keep your core tight) 1 min jumping  jacks, 15 pushups (on or off knees), and 15- 20 squats (pretend you are sitting back in a chair and standing up). Rest for 1 mins and repeat 3 more times.

      7.  Hire a trainer

If you’re new to exercise and you don’t want to hurt yourself or you’re pressed for time, then a trainer is what you need. Find an experienced trainer who can travel to your job and kick your butt for an hour. This is a great way to get in shape fast with fewer injuries! The trainer should monitor your diet, correct your form, and provide you with homework that you can do on your off days to speed up the process.

      8.  Avoid temptations (holiday cookies, snacks)

 Encourage co-workers to bring healthy snacks, or organize a healthy happy hour. This leads back to meal planning and having a back-up snack, like fruit, in case you have a sweet tooth during the middle of your day.

      9.  Park your car further away, or bike /walk to work

These are simple ways to get more exercise in by moving more to improve your cardiovascular endurance and decrease obesity. Here in the district, there is a bike share program you can take advantage of.

      10.  Start a “Biggest Loser Contest” or any other weight loss competition.

This gets your competitive spirit involved. It’s simple biology that humans are competitive beings. Just think of sports, politics, and jobs, we love to win!  So getting everyone’s competitive juices flowing is a sure way to weight loss success. Having a cash prize or tickets to an important event will even get the laziest person to try to lose weight while having fun doing it.