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Tips To Stay Healthy At Work

By Padmapreetham Mahalingam

Sitting for more than 12 hours in front of your computer and working throughout the week can definitely take a toll on your health and can affect your work productivity. Most of us spend nearly 40 hours a week in the office space, which does make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

You may be an active person, but your work schedule may not allow you to stick with healthy choices and keep a regular eating habit. Instead you might opt for a quick bite of high calorie junk. This will never help you to stay healthy while at work nor help you to focus. This kind of unhealthy food habits at your desk (like pizza, burger, candy or muffins) will only add on extra calories and can never make you feel motivated and happy.

Tips To Stay Healthy At Work

Research has found that people who sit for long hours at their desk during the day are more likely to be overweight and moreover around 47 per cent are usually depressed and miserable.

WAYS TO PREVENT DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

Staying healthy while at work isn’t that simple and easy especially when you are around co-workers who keep sneezing and sniffing around you, making it impossible for you to maintain your health. Cold and influenza are caused by some viruses that can easily pass on from one to another when you sneeze and cough and this could affect your work productivity.

Some viruses even lurk on your phones or desks for three to four hours and can make it difficult to stay healthy while working for long hours. Here are some tips to avoid germs and to stay healthy while at work especially when you are at your desk all day.

Keep a journal
Keeping a journal can give you a chance to record all good things that happen at work. A study has found that people who wrote three optimistic events that took place at work had lower levels of stress and lower health related issues such as headaches and muscle tension. This practice helps you to focus on the good things that happen around you and to stay healthy while at work. Focusing on the good things will perk up your mood in a positive way.

Wash your hands often
Staying healthy while at work isn’t easy when you don’t follow healthy habits. This means that after you use the restroom, before you munch, when you cough or sneeze make sure to wash your hands and also start using a hand sanitizer. If you are going to stay long hours at work, make sure to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk and rub them on to your hands frequently.

Eat a nutritious breakfast
Most people prefer to skip the breakfast due to lack of time in the morning or in an effort to lose weight. It is a known fact that eating breakfast can keep you healthy throughout the day so make sure to enjoy a nutritious breakfast like fresh fruit slices, oats, cereal and a slice of whole-wheat toast. Drinking orange juice, skim milk and plain brewed coffee can help you stay healthy while at work. Skipping breakfast decreases your metabolism so whenever you don’t have time to eat, make sure pack your breakfast or lunch.

Choose a healthy lunch
Eating brown rice for lunch offers extra dietary fibre and has many health benefits compared to white rice. Eating carrots, cabbage, green pea, broccoli, and grilled chicken regularly for lunch can keep you healthy while at work.

Never opt for another cup of coffee
Avoid opting for another cup of coffee when you want to stay healthy while working for long hours. When you are feeling thirsty or down, sodas and coffee may help you to stay awake but may contribute to your dehydration. Water is a smart choice since it removes toxins from your body and never adds on extra pounds. Make sure to avoid high calorie sodas at all times.

Burn calories at work
Whenever you are feeling tired, make sure to get up and walk around for a few minutes. If you are looking for opportunities to stay healthy while at work, make it a habit to stand or move. Stand up while talking over the phone or walk to other cabins to pass on the message to your colleagues instead of sending emails as it does help keep you in good shape. Try to organise a walking group or walk up and down the stairs if you want to burn up calories and if you want to stay healthy while working long hours.

If you don’t have time to hit the gym, do easy and simple yoga. Try to do two minutes of breathing and stretching several times during the day. This can help you to stay healthy while at work and can increase your focus. These are some of the tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle at work.

Story first published: Saturday, March 29, 2014, 17:46 [IST]
Read more about: work wellness