Five ways to make your job healthier
technology free zone. If you can, take yourself outside for some fresh air.
Have a green smoothie for morning tea
A great way to ensure you get your five serves of vegetables a day is to include a green smoothie in your daily routine. This option won’t suit everyone as some people don’t feel that cold, raw foods are as nourishing for them, or may feel cold after consuming them. But if they work well for your body, green smoothies can offer additional nutritional support, especially if you add a scoop of ground up vegetable powder for even more nutrient density.
Get up from your desk and move more
There’s a lot of research about how too much sitting isn’t good for health or energy. Even if you’re in the small proportion of people who do the recommended amount of at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, you still need to move more regularly throughout your day.
In other words, it is the sitting itself – not necessarily the lack of exercise – that adds to the undesirable impact on energy and specific health parameters. Research has also shown that regular movement breaks across the day reduce back, neck and shoulder pain, plus boost mood.
So, try getting up from your desk and moving around for about three to five minutes every hour. If you have a choice, you might like to invest in a standing desk or create one from objects around your home or office and make the suggestion to have a standing meeting next time the team gets together.
Set breathing style reminders
The way we breathe has the power to completely change our biochemistry. Our body links short, shallow breaths to stress, and long, diaphragmatic breathing to relaxation.
When we’re focused on our tasks or feeling the pressure of ‘‘too much to do’’, we can get caught in a cycle of shallow chest breathing and as we’re changing our breathing patterns, it can be difficult to notice when we’re doing it. So, set yourself a reminder to check your breathing and/or to take a few minutes breathing break every few hours.
Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author and speaker. The advice contained in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional. See drlibby.com