Staying Fit At Work

Note: This is from my Workplace Wednesday series at Blogging For Michigan

Today’s WW is all about staying healthy at work. By staying healthy I mean 1) avoiding a cold or flu, and 2) staying fit in a sedentary / junk food environment.

So let’s be honest; a lot of people come to work when they have a cold, even if it means they risk handing that cold off to their co-workers. You should try to avoid direct contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing, or carrying around anything that is contagious. You should also make it a point to wash your hands often and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby. Drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration, and don’t forget to eat a good breakfast before work.

The water and breakfast tips are good for fighting off colds, and helpful to fight off junk food as well. It’s easier to resist donuts and jelly rolls if you’ve been drinking water, or you’re already full from a balanced breakfast. If your work area is full of junk food, find some fresh snack food to keep handy. Uncut fruit, nuts, and whole grain cereal, are good room-temperature snacks that you can keep with you. Celery, broccoli, and other green veggies are so good for you that you can eat them all day long.

Staying fit at work isn’t just about eating right … you have to get up and move around too. That can be tough for those of us who work at a desk for most of the day. I usually set an alarm for every couple of hours, to remind me to go walk around the building. If you can’t get up and walk around every few hours, be sure to stretch frequently while at your desk.

You can also work in some exercise by parking farther away from the office, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and taking a walk at lunchtime.

Pick up some more tips here -

http://www.officerat.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/WL00030
http://www.aviva.ca/article.asp?articleid=87
http://www.letyourlifebloom.com/2008/08/healthy-at-work.html

Update: Keeping fit at work may impact your salary too –

From http://news.msu.edu/story/6152/

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Weight discrimination appears to add to the glass ceiling effect for women, finds a new study co-authored by a Michigan State University scholar.

Overweight and obese women are significantly underrepresented among the top CEOs in the United States, according to the research, which appears in the British journal Equal Opportunities International. However, while obese men were also underrepresented, overweight men were actually overrepresented among top CEOs.