Working hard or hardly working?
Rapidly growing technological advances have not only raised the bar for all of us, but also made us more inactive. We are now expected to be multitasking throughout the workday, and most of our tasks don’t require us to get off our seat! Here are a few tips to help make you feel healthier, more alert, and more productive during your workday:
1. Have a meeting? Why not take a walk?
Break out of the meeting room, and have walking meetings instead! Not only will the change in surroundings inspire new ideas and creativity, but the physical activity will also make you feel more energetic and alert. It’s an age-old phenomenon that was followed by Aristotle, Charles Dickens, Steve Jobs, among others and is proven not only to be healthy, but also more effective as walking together cuts through hierarchical work structures.
2. Eat often, Eat light.
Lighter, more frequent meals are known to boost focus and keep you alert throughout the workday. Infrequent, heavy meals tend to make you feel more fatigued and tiresome. The next time you’re getting lunch, switch your pizza or sandwich with a soup and salad and see the difference!
3. No more excuses. Exercise while you work!
The market today is flooded with options to get fit while you work. If you have a lot of space, you can get an adjustable standing desk, or a treadmill desk for your office. However, if you work in a more constrained space, a new Chicago-based company, Fitness Cubed, has built Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that fits right under your desk!
It is complete with an adjustable resistance and integrated bluetooth that connects wirelessly with their mobile app and existing fitness trackers to help track your progress and share with others. You can also pre-order one now on Kickstarter. So get moving and get active at work!
4. Stretch, Stretch, Stretch
Standing up and stretching for only 20 seconds every 20 minutes goes a long way to help relax your muscles, take pressure off your lower back, and increase your blood circulation. Taking your eyes off your computer screen and focusing on a distant object also helps to relieve and rest the eyes.
5. Initiate a Culture Change
Don’t just follow all the good habits yourself; promote them to the rest of your office! Initiate a switch to healthier special occasion snacks and dining places. The next time you want to ask a colleague a question, walk up to their desk rather than emailing or calling them, and encourage them to do the same.
The surrounding culture and environment of your workspace has a critical role to play in how motivated you feel in being healthy and productive at work. It’s time to bring about a change to yours!
This is a guest post by Olivier Nimeskern, who is a health fanatic himself. He goes to the gym every day to stay in shape and he believes we should all do the same. As exercising has been scientifically proven to improve well-being, health and longevity. But find a sport or activity you enjoy, as this should not be a chore, but a pleasure.