A Quick Guide to Staying Healthy at Work
There isn’t one solution to staying healthy, but, rather a combination of things -- including keeping active and eating wholesome, good-for-you foods. While eating healthy and moving more might sound too difficult to do against a demanding work schedule, there are a few quick tips you can keep in mind to help you conquer both – regardless of work schedule.
Quick tips for staying active at the office:
- Instead of going out for lunch, take your lunch breaks outdoors and walk around your building or office complex for 30 (or more!) minutes.
- Do a quick internet search to see if there is a local park to walk around during an afternoon break.
- Every hour at your desk, stand, take a quick walk around the office or even walk for a few minutes in place.
- Get a group of coworkers for a walking group throughout the day – or even better, turn a meeting or brainstorming session into a reason for a walk.
Get outside for a walk at lunch time
Quick tips for eating healthy on the job:
- Preparing healthy lunches ahead of time is as simple as setting aside time every weekend to prepare the full work weeks’ lunches in advance. After a few hours spent in the kitchen over the weekend you will have healthy grab and go lunches that will save you plenty of unnecessary calories – not to mention the time and money saved as well!
- Instead of gravitating towards the vending machine for a pick-me-up, buy pre-proportioned bags of fruits and vegetables (or prepare them yourself). If you’re feeling hungry, it will be easier to grab one of these healthy snack choices. You can do the same for other healthy snack options, such as nuts, cheeses and more.
- Try to aim for drinking at least 64 oz. of water per day. A good way to work towards your goal is to set time goals for drinking water; for example, drink 8 oz. every hour, or to drink 16 oz. from 8-10:30 am, another 16 oz. from 10:30- 12 pm, etc. Think you can’t remember the goal? Set a reminder in your phone or on your email calendar!
Stay hydrated while at work
Sarah Kirk (M.Ed., Exercise Science) is a Certified Wellness Coach and Customer Success agent at DHS Group, an employee healthcare and wellbeing company. You can read more of Sarah’s work, including tips on how to “manage stress at work,” “keep healthy habits in the midst of busy schedules,” and the “benefits of activity trackers” at the attached links.
Want to get in contact with Office Worker Health? We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment in the section below and be sure to join the LinkedIn group.
Yours in health,