Keeping a Healthy Balance at the Workplace
Thursday, March 31, 2016
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Hey guys! So, semi-serious post here. Who else works in an office setting? Who else sits for 6-8 hours a day at a desk in front of a computer? I work a full time job when I'm not blogging and sometimes the workplace gets the better of me - well, health-wise anyway.
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There are a few ways I try to stay healthy at the workplace. I also try to incorporate these good habits at home to make sure I have a good routine going. First of all, my company has a wellness discount for our insurance. If we meet certain criteria, we get a deduction on our health insurance each month. That alone is a great incentive for me to make healthy decisions. I will add that this year, I met 4 out of 4 criteria - a person only needs 3 to get the discount so yay for being an overachiever!
The second thing I do is exercise. My company gives us a very nice discount at the local YMCA so I joined last summer. This was more of a way to get myself motivated to lose those last few pounds from having my baby at the end of 2014. My friend agreed to join with me and I was going 3-4 times a week before Thanksgiving. I've just started going back and this time, we're taking advantage of some of their classes! We've done spin class, a boot camp class, and just this week we tried yoga! PSST - if anyone else takes yoga, I'd love to learn more about it!
So, sure, not everyone can make it out to the gym. My workplace also hosts a couple of Lunch-and-Learn sessions throughout the year. One of the ones I attended was to learn all about exercises you could do at your desk and we even got a free stretch band to do these exercises with! I keep this band at my desk and when I remember, I whip that baby out and stretch! All of these things offered by my workplace combined can reduce sick days by 45 percent. This year was the first year in a long time that I've had to take time off for being feverishly sick.
Okay, let's talk about food. As you can imagine, working in a big office can't be easy. It also doesn't help when I bring in delicious cupcakes for everyone to enjoy but there are a few ways I like to keep healthy (healthier) at work. First, I try to always eat breakfast whether it be a yogurt, a protein bar, a granola or quinoa bar - just something with protein to fill my stomach for the morning. Second, I do like to bring my lunch as much as possible. Here I can control how much I eat and what I eat. There is also one of those vending machines with smarter choices for snacks and drinks. There are times where I'll go to that machine and choose a salt-free trail mix instead of the Snickers bar that I'm desperately craving. I do drink coffee and/or tea at work but I also try to bring 1 or 2 bottles of water with me to work as well. I limit myself to one soda per day which is sometimes difficult to stick to. Even through some slip-ups, I still try to maintain a healthy diet to make sure I don't gain unnecessary weight.
Want to know the last thing I do at work to stay healthy? I laugh! Yea, you read that right - I laugh. I have a good time at work. If you have a job where you have lots of good friends and your departments get along with each other, spend some time making a joke, creating a fun atmosphere, and maybe even throw a potluck or two. I absolutely love where I work and I love the friends I have made along the way. They are the people that can help you get through your day. They are the people who can keep you motivated to eat healthy and exercise.
So what can you take away from this post? Maybe a few things to ask your workplace about. Maybe a few breakfast ideas. Maybe it just gets you thinking of how to incorporate some healthy habits into your every day routine. Tell me what you do each day to stay healthy! I hope my post helps you to make at least one healthy choice a day!
12 comments
I've been running for >30 years, lol. I miss working in an office or lab. I'm a consultant, and it can definitely be lonely but I'm not exposed to everyone else's colds etc
ReplyDeleteSome very helpful advice!
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome you get a discount for your gym membership! All places should do that!
ReplyDeleteI try and walk daily. Before, I worked in the city which meant I walked everywhere. Now, working in the suburbs, I'm driving every single place, which means pounds can easily stack on.
ReplyDeleteYour workplace sounds pretty great. They know that healthy and happy employees are the best for their company.
ReplyDeleteI use to be a runner, but after shattering my right heel I can't anymore :/ But I do work in an office and have to be careful!
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ReplyDeleteWhen I worked outside of the home... I always walked on my lunch break and took the stairs up the four flights to my office. It was such a nice thing to do and since I used to be a runner but because of my ankles and my asthma and I can't run as much now... it always made a difference :)
ReplyDeleteHitting the gym or a spin class before work definitely helps start my day on the right foot!
ReplyDeletexx Kelly
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Love these helpful tips!
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