Stay active at work - feel and perform better!
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that we should be physically active for a minimum of 30 minutes every day. However, not everybody has time for this in their busy lifestyle, but there are solutions. “It's the small and consistent everyday choices that often do the most” says PO Osbeck, personal trainer and nutrition coach.
Small movements make a big difference
Sitting for hours at a time increases the risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer. By regularly moving your body you increase oxygenation, which in turn produces the substances that clean the blood stream of blood fats and blood sugars leading to better weight control. “It's not always about the big choices. Often it’s about focusing on the little choices we make over time that will yield the greatest results. Walking to the photocopier, standing at your desk, drinking lots of water and taking regular breaks all increase energy levels and oxygenate the muscles and brain” says PO.
Listen to your body
Some muscles are overactive when we are sitting: the front of the shoulders, the hips and the thighs are just a few examples, which, in turn, can lead to lower back problems. “Stretching the chest and back, doing squats, hip lifts or lunges are great ways to remedy this” says PO. One should also avoid sitting or standing in the same position for too long. Choose a sitting position where your knees are slightly below your hips, relax your shoulders and lower your shoulder blades. If your work involves heavy lifting, too much sitting probably isn’t your issue! To keep your body healthy and strong, it is important to know your own limitations, lift correctly and, if you can, warm up for 5-10 minutes prior to starting work. “Warming up before any physically demanding activity is a great idea. It will help to ensure the hips, back and shoulders are ready to cope with any lifting and handling. Back injuries often occur when we lift something heavy in front of the body whilst turning to the side” says PO. “Being in the right position is crucial when lifting.”
Contributing to the health of employees
For businesses, there is a lot to be gained by investing in employees' health: productivity increases, employees feel better both at work and at home and the costs of absence due to illness or injury are reduced. Investing in height-adjustable desks, good quality office chairs designed to adjust to the individual user and anti-fatigue mats is a very simple way of making major improvements to the health of your staff. There are also ergonomic saddle chairs that improve mobility and posture. “Companies get a lot back from investing in their employees and their employees’ health” says PO.
