7 Healthy Tips for the Office

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Have you ever started your day vowing to drink nothing but water, go to the gym and eat healthy at every meal, only to find yourself still sitting at your desk at 6 pm, eating microwave popcorn and wondering what the heck happened to your day? Your job may have a sneaky way of robbing time, influencing bad decisions and taking away your well-intended plans, but you can do something about it.

Take control of your day with these seven easy tips for a healthier lifestyle in the office.

Add More Steps to Your Morning Routine

If you drive to work, put some distance between your parking spot and the front door. If you take public transportation to work, choose a longer route to your bus or train station, or get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way. It may not seem like much, but every step in the day counts. Find ways to sneak exercise into your day  and leave the guilt about missing the gym behind.

Create a Water Rule

Create a rule for yourself: for every cup of coffee or can of diet soda, drink one full glass of water first. In time, you will set yourself up for a healthier habit of hydrating before mindlessly sipping through another caffeine fix.

Pack Healthy Snacks

Avoid the temptation of the vending machine and bring something healthy and appetizing to work with you for snack attacks. This may take a bit of planning ahead, but it is well worth the effort.

Don’t Just Sit There

Make it a point to get up and walk somewhere every hour. In fact, make it a daily game. Download a pedometer app and track how much ground you’re really covering each day. Take short or long trips as often as possible throughout the today. Whether you walk to the bathroom and back, the copier or wherever, make it a point to get up and go somewhere every hour. Quick walking breaks are also great for brainstorming and remaining focused.

Stretch and Exercise at Your Desk

Try adding short bursts of fitness into your daily work routine. Many exercises can be done at your desk or in an empty conference room. Split up your routine throughout the day, or take 15 minutes to yourself between projects to recharge and get your blood pumping.

Journal Your Accomplishments to Reduce Stress

Buy yourself a notebook (or nab one from the supply closet) and start each day with a list of what you want to accomplish. As the day goes on, write down what you accomplished as soon as a task is done. It’s also helpful to keep a separate list of what new projects were found or assigned. A daily list of “to do”, “done” and discovered” is a great way to keep track of what you are actually getting done in a day – which can reduce snack-attack stress triggers.

Get Enough Sleep

You body needs sleep to function properly throughout the day. The right amount of sleep also helps regulate two important hormones  needed to keep up with healthy eating habits. Plus, when you come to work tired, you are more prone to reaching for quick sugar fixes and less likely to stay focused on your diet and your work load.

Find time to be healthy every day and enjoy the benefits of a guilt-free work week. And remember, finding the time to be healthy is a lot easier than finding the time to be sick.

Author: Maggie Henderson

Overall Health & Nutrition

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