5 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle at Work
Personal accountability can improve productivity in multiple areas of your life. Although resources, especially time, may seem scarce, it is up to you to set boundaries in your life that allow you to balance your obligations to your career with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If a majority of your time is spent in the office, you may be putting your health on the back burner in favor of last minute meetings, sweet treats delivered from vendors, and happy hour benders spent with coworkers and clients. Below are five tips on how to come out on top in a busy workplace environment.
Sleep
To keep your body working like a well oiled machine, and get the maximal benefit from your fat burning hormones, you better make time to sleep. The average person needs approximately 8 hours of restful sleep each night to regenerate their mind and body. If you often feel restless at night, you may not be getting enough activity during the day. Making time for exercise is important, but keep in mind that intense exercise will raise your body temperature for 4 to 5 hours afterwards, which may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. If you are exercising in the evenings after work, make sure you are out of the gym no later than 7:00 PM to allow your body temperature time to fall around the same time you expect to be in bed. Keep your laptop and any work related issues out of the bedroom, and keep the environment cool, dark and quiet so that you aren’t distracted when it’s time to go to sleep.
Hydrate
If you are one of those people who need a few cups of coffee to get you going in the morning, chances are your body is dehydrated, which will impair your energy levels, hormone balance, overall productivity, and metabolism. Caffeinated beverages should not replace your water consumption for the day, and you should be taking in 2.5 - 3 liters of water each day. Most powdered beverage mixes are full of artificial ingredients, and should ideally be used in moderation. As a healthier alternative, consider adding in slices of lemons, limes or cucumbers into your water to aid your boredom. Keep a full bottle of water at your desk and drink until you are full as often as you see it on your desk. Companies like Bopple manufacture BPA free water bottles with a built in filter, giving you access to clean water, no matter where you go.
Cut Out Noise
Nearly 50 percent of employees in America report working for only 15 minutes before becoming distracted, easily wasting more than an hour a day because of disruptions due to constant noise, an overflow of email, or pure stress. If you find yourself having difficulty staying focused, it’s time to cut out the noise. Stress from unfinished projects rolls over, and increasing your productivity throughout the day will help you to decrease your overall stress levels and enjoy your time away from the office. First, pinpoint the problem. Are you losing focus because you are tired, hungry, or distracted by Facebook? Make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating well, and leave your phone on silent in your desk or your car to minimize distraction. If you are distracted by a noisy office environment, talk to you boss about switching desk locations or working with headphones so that you aren’t constantly disrupted. As often as possible, work offline, and refrain from checking your inbox more than once per hour so you aren’t constantly stopping what you’re doing each time a new message screen flashes.
Stay Active
If your current life revolves around work and family obligations, you may find it next to impossible to make it into the gym throughout the week. The great news is that there is a way to get maximal fat burning benefits from less than thirty minutes of interval “burst” training done only three times per week. Strength training creates a bigger metabolic after burn than cardio training, while increasing muscle mass, bone density, and metabolism. Long duration, steady state cardio decreases testosterone levels and immune function, and raises cortisol levels in the body, which can actually slow down your recovery time. Burst training gets you the benefits of strength training and aerobic training without the negative effect of 45 treacherous minutes spent on the treadmill. Pick 6 of your favorite exercises, and perform 3 sets of as many reps as you can in 20 seconds with 20 seconds of rest intervals in between. For example, you’d perform 20 seconds of shoulder presses at max effort, rest for 20 seconds, and repeat for two more rounds before moving on to the next exercise. You’ll complete the entire circuit in 12 mins, rest for 2 or 3, and repeat.
Moderation During Happy Hour
It’s easy to lose track of your diet and alcohol restrictions when you’re in a social setting, especially during happy hour, where you and your colleagues are looking to cut loose after a long day in the office. Consuming large quantities of alcohol has a direct effect on your metabolism and will cause your body to store fat, rather than burn excess calories consumed for energy. Excessive alcohol consumption will reduce the blood flow to your tissues, causing a decrease in oxygenation to your muscles and brain, as well as wreaking havoc on your liver and hormone balance. Moderation is always key, so set a two drink maximum, and be sure to drink plenty of water while you are out enjoying yourself. When consumed in moderation, alcohol has been shown to have some positive health benefits, but if you are concerned you are taking in too much, consider volunteering as the designated driver at your next event.
