The changing work culture, job demands, the endurance in commuting etc. is depriving employees of a quality time that they can dedicate to their mental and physical wellness. In the flow of work and meeting deadlines, our health often takes a backseat. Longer you sit at your desk, the waistline is going to expand horizontally. Long hours in front of the computer affects your eyesight. The one convenient excuse we give ourselves is lack of time. Stress and anxiety add fuel to the unhealthy lifestyle and its effects on our mind and body. But we do not realize that this excuse just paves the way for chronic diseases, reducing stamina, early aging, decreasing energy and confidence and not to mention the big hole the treatment drills in our pocket.
Each person at individual level can follow these fitness tips to bring in that balance between work and health:
Exercise
Even if you workout or not, follow a simple routine of exercises at work. It prevent your muscles from stiffening and also supports the spine.
- Take the stairs whenever possible.
- After lunch, do not slouch in the chair. Go for a walk.
- Take short breaks to brisk walk or jog.
- Sit straight and bend over to touch your toes.
Eating right
Snacking unhealthy food adds to the woes of weight gain and increasing waist line. Also, eating sumptuous food at one go and sitting for hours is unhealthy. The correct approach is to break the meal in parts. Eat small portions of food at fixed intervals. Snack on fruits, roasted fox nuts, chana & jaggery, yogurt etc.
Water
Long hours in air-conditioned office and we do not sweat at all. The cool environment does not make us thirsty. But the body dehydrates. Keep a bottle on your desk. Preferable fill lukewarm water and instead of gulping down at one go, take small sips at frequent intervals. Keep a target of consuming at-least 3-4 liters of water during work hours.
Workplace yoga
Given the many benefits of yoga, it is also one of the most simple form of workout. You do not always need a yoga mat. Two most important aspects of workplace yoga are breathing and stretching.
Breathing: Take 3 short breaks to do this. Sit in a comfortable position with you spine straight and finger in gyan mudra where the palm is wide open on your thighs and index finger touches the thumb. Take 10 sets of deep inhaling and exhaling. Let the mind relax.
Stretching: Lift your arms overhead and bring the palms together. Now lean and stretch on your right side and hold for 3 breaths. Repeat on the left. Another technique is the leg stretch. Raise left leg parallel to the floor and flex the foot 5 times. Repeat for the right leg.
Eyes
Once in while lift your eyes from the desktop and look at an object atleast 20ft away for 3 mins. Blink slowly and resume work. Wash your eyes with cool water.
Dealing with stress
Make friends at workplace. Remember you spend maximum time of your day in your office. A jovial and friendly workplace is equally important and increases productivity. Meditate to cope up with work stress and most important is to take problems at work in a very easy manner. It does not mean you have to be careless. But look at issues objectively and involve your team in solving it.
Companies today are gradually grasping the significance of employee health and its impact on productivity and costs. They have begun to realize that a healthy employee is confident, self-motivated and inspires others. However, the corporate wellness programs that are discussed in the annual plans, fizzle out due to lack of knowledge or response. It is imperative that companies spend towards creating awareness, conducting engagement activities or maybe have an expert speak about health and fitness. This will keep the employees motivated.
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