QUEZON City, Philippines (September 18) – Having your tasks done in your office feels very great, and the thinking that you will be able to finally proceed to your next office task feels good! Nevertheless, having quality time for your work will never make you healthy forever. Yes, you might get incentives that you could probably use in buying things that can make you look healthy but eating healthy foods or buying healthy products doesn’t mean that you are already healthy.
One disadvantage of being in the office all throughout the day is that it won’t give you time to at least jog for like 30 minutes a day and for you, it is sure that that doesn’t sounds great. Some employees are enjoying their life sitting for hours on their office chairs not caring about what harmful effects it might bring to them.
Stress is another disadvantage of office work. A survey by Yale University shows that 29 percent of office workers feel “quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.” [source: CDC]. This can lead to depression, cardiovascular disease, a lack of energy and other health issues.
Some might think that being healthy can be acquired through buying and eating supplemental vitamins or food but what they don’t know is that exercising is one of the primary needs of the body in order to stay healthy and of course, for you who has been reading this don’t want to just sit there in your office and burn whatever it is that has to be burned except for your fats, your numbness, and your stress.
Here are some helpful tips that might help you be productive while burning some fats, killing the numbness of your body, and relieve your stress without the need of going outside the office:
Five Key Stretches
(do stretches for 15-30 seconds)
1) Neck Stretches – Slowly tilt your head toward your shoulder and hold for ten seconds each side. Keep this one slow and easy, the neck is very easy to injure.
2) Arm Shoulders – Pull your arm across your chest, hook your other arm around it to pull the tension out of your upper back and rear shoulders.
3) Back / Legs – Lean forward at the waist either from the standing position or sitting and bring your chest toward your thighs. Slowly try to straighten your legs – stretching your hamstrings.
4) Thigh Stretch – Sit on left edge of your office chair or stand. Grab your left ankle and pull it upward toward your buttocks. Switch sides.
5) Calves Stretch – Stand and lean into your desk with your heels on the floor. Bend your knees slightly to stretch your Achilles tendons.
Five Key Exercises
1) Legs – Squats – Stand in front of your office chair and repeat sitting down and standing up 10 times three times a day.
2) Shoulder Shrugs – Just pull your shoulders as high as you can and roll them forward ten times and backward ten times throughout the day.
3) Dumbbell Curls – While on the phone, you can grab a dumbbell and do bicep curls for 20 repetitions three times a day. Straighten your arms by your side and bring your hand (dumbbell) to your shoulder. Keep your palms up. Do one at a time if on the phone.
4) Bench Dips – Using your office chair or sturdy office table, place your hands on the edge of the object and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than the seat. Raise yourself by straightening your arms. Repeat this three times a day for 10 repetitions.
5) Assisted Push-up – In the office, lean up against your desk and push yourself away from the desk while in a leaning position. Repeat this three times a day for 10 repetitions.
Good and healthy body isn’t about eating fresh fruits or vegetables all the time. While you are in the office sitting on your chair for like 3 or 4 hours your body can acquire fats that will eventually make you look fatter but will never make you look healthier.
Make exercising a routine. When we say exercise, it’s not all about running, jumping or stretching, remember that walking is a kind of exercise too. You might want to get up early and instead of taking a ride from a taxi immediately, why don’t you try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day, it will also cost you less for the taxi rent! Or if you think walking before going to the office is a hassle, when you go to the floor where your office is located, try to use the stairs instead of using a lift! [Remember to always burn fats not electricity!] and before we end this, always make sure that you are not sitting for a long period of time, it will never be good for your health. If you could work while standing then that’s good. Try to let your blood circulate all over your body, it will also wake you up when you feel a little bit dizzy or sleepy.
If there is an important investment that you have to have while working, that would be your health, and if you off-cast your health you will probably never be able to work anymore. Being unhealthy means no chance of being productive at work, and if you’re not productive, there is a big chance that you will lose whatever work you have and you know that’s not good. Stay productive but don’t forget to stay healthy.
Sources:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise-at-work/10-office-exercises-you-can-do-secretly.htm
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/exercise-at-your-desk
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/workouts/office-workout
(written by Donna Marie Rodriguez, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)