Today, good health begins in the workplace! Work is where you spend a large part of your time each week. Sitting for long periods of time, work related stress, and lack of physical activity are just some of the factors that can lead to a host of lifestyle diseases. Here are some good wellness tips to follow in the workplace.
Why is workplace wellness important?
Each year preventable lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes claim precious lives.
Here are some of the staggering statistics according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- The top four preventable diseases in the U.S. are diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke
- At least 84 million people have pre-diabetes and 30 million have diabetes
- Stress that is work-related is a top health concern
- People who have a chronic lifestyle illness or are obese miss 450 million more days of work every year than healthy employees
Whether you are a temporary employee or are in permanent employment, adopting some healthy habits at the workplace can help you avoid lifestyle illnesses. Being healthy is also important to success at work as you’ll have more energy and better focus. It also reduces absenteeism.
Five tips for workplace wellness
Workplace wellness does not need elaborate exercise equipment or long hours of exercise. With these simple wellness tips, you can stay healthy and improve success at work.
Walk and move more:
Walking is the easiest way to stay healthy. While the American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of walk every day to keep your heart healthy, The University of Cambridge found even a 20 minute walk was effective. The latter’s study of over 1000 people found that those who walked for 20 minutes every day had 43% less sick days than those who walked once a week.
Take a power walk around your office building during your break and take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever you can. You can also walk when you need to have a lengthy conversation over the phone. Just walking around your work area for whenever you feel sluggish is also a great idea.
Drink more water:
Mild dehydration can cause memory problems, low energy and depression according to studies. Your body is made up of 60 to 70 percent water. Drinking more water helps to lose weight and prevents headaches according to studies.
Stretch while sitting:
If your work involves sitting in front of the computer for a long time, it is important for you to stretch every half an hour. Sitting is seen as the new smoking in terms of its health risks. Do the spinal twist on your chair, stretch your neck, shoulders and do some seated ankle pumps. Focus on sitting straight instead of slouching.
Breathe easy!
Take a five to ten-minute break whenever possible and focus on your breathing. Try to breathe in deeply and slowly. Count 20 deep breathes – this will help calm down your heart rate and relieves muscle tension.
Eat healthy and laugh more:
Excess sugar, carbs and caffeine can make you sluggish besides adding to the calorie intake! Focus on wholesome foods rich in fiber and vitamins. Laughing is the best-known stress reliever. Develop positive workplace relationships and just laugh more!
Follow these wellness tips and improve your health at work!