Exercise - Free Fitness Library
Autumn Energy
Summer's Over - Dark nights are ahead and your fitness levels seem to be dwindling away as your workload increases, longer hours and more stress. You long to find time to workout
But you work for a company which does not have the facilities, space or money for an in-house gym. Don't worry there are other ways.
Life in the office is tough as we all know and is not conducive to
keeping fit and healthy. Desk work is becoming the occupational hazard
of the '90's. It is likely to cause more injuries to people than any
other form of work. Your office runner is probably the fittest member
of staff, as he/she is likely to be most active.
Running around all the time keeps the circulation pumped up.
If you manage people you will already know that healthy staff means less absenteeism, higher productivity, less work errors and higher morale.
Caring for your staff by encouraging them to improve their lifestyle is vital to keep your company ahead, whatever it's size. This does not mean telling your staff they're unfit, overweight and must exercise. No-one needs to be told they're unfit, instead they need motivating. Remember, all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy, or burnt out and unproductive. An office lifestyle plan can easily be implemented.
Corporate America encourages everyone to attend gym or aerobic classes. In Japan, progressive companies encourage their staff to stretch out at regular intervals, and provide massage at the work station.
Discuss with your Personnel Officer the possibility of a trainer coming into the office. Use a conference room and have regular classes at lunch time or straight after work. These can be paid for or subsidised by your company.
Make time for your staff to have a desk stretch every hour. Sitting at a desk all day causes tremendous posture problems leading to backache and neck pain. Over use injury is being talked about but are you doing anything to help yourself and staff? Don't worry about embarrassing yourselves, have a laught instead and make a conscious effort to do the desk stretch exercises every hour.
Your circulation has a very tough time if you are mainly sedentary. Telephonists and receptionists are renowned for having swollen ankles and fluid retention. Ladies, sitting all day restricts the lymphatic drainage system through your lower body, leading to a sluggish system contributing to cellulite. Lunchtime is ideal to boost your circulation as it will help lift that afternoon tiredness. A 25-30 minute exercise session, brisk walking or stair climbing is the quickest and easiest way, followed by a light lunch, low in fat and sugar will help eliminate this tiredness syndrome.
Take out Corporate Health Club Membership. It's a great way to change one's lifestyle. Going with a group to exercise is ideal. Create a workout buddy scheme so colleagues can motivate each other. Time and other commitments often limit use of facilities, especially for the working mother so check venue usage times, especially if the majority of your staff are women.
If this is the case, go for small changes that can make a big difference
- have in-house exercise sessions. Educate your employees with a personal
trainer, who can come in to do lifestyle counselling and run an exercise
session. People want to know which exercise programme is for them and
whether they are performing the exercise correctly.
Use the conference room for a stretch and tone class, step class, aerobic
class or relaxation sessions.
To help prevent repetitive strain injury have a back specialist or fitness trainer in to take your staff through an exercise session that alleviates stress on those overused joints.
Everyone in the Office should rearrange their individual work space
to minimise risk -
The chair height and design of the chair needs to support the middle
part of your spine (lumbar area). Have a foot rest if necessary.
Desk height, computer terminal keyboard positioning and desk lighting
are all important.
Consider your work posture:
If you sit a great deal, you tend to develop weak abdominals, buttocks
and front and inner thigh muscles.
Telephonitis - one sided neck ache - is caused by holding the telephone
between the ear and shoulder.
Rounded back, caused by sitting hunched over a computer leads to tense
back muscles, back injury or pain, slack abdominal muscles, rounded
shoulders and neck ache.
Plan Of Action
1. Develop an office health plan - Talk to Personnel/Office Team.
2. Find workout space - any space from the Conference Room to the Canteen.
3. Every individual should check their desk area.
4. Encourage staff to release tension fatigue with desk stretch.
5. Bring in outside help/personal trainer/mobile massage.
6. Have an outside speaker on Stress Management, Relaxation, Nutrition.
Classify this as in-house training. Create extended lunchtimes to cater
for these seminars.
7. Talk to the Sandwich Company about providing healthier snacks for
that working desk lunch.
8. Nutritional Advice - Your staff need to understand what healthy diet
is and how often to eat. Ladies on low calorie diets will find their
work affected by poor concentration, mistakes and due to the drop in
blood sugar levels which occur from low calorie intake.
Missing breakfast and living off coffee is another common trait. Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day, as your body has been fasting
for 7-10 hours, it needs nourishment.
Starving yourself all day until about 8 at night, then stuffing yourself
with food is also a usual habit. Eating little and often is one of the
easiest ways to lose weight. Most sedentary workers have weight problems
that can lead to major circulation problems and heart disease. Having
a visiting nutritionist for individual consultations every 8 weeks would
be an added bonus.
9. Finally, have fun together. Laughter is one of the most therapeutic
forms of stress release. Occasionally do something special as a team,
not just going to the pub - which won't help your health.
Desk Stretch
Illustrations by Hester Campbell
Neck - Turtle
1. Ease head gently side to side, ear to shoulder. Don't drop the head.
Then think of a turtle and ease your chin forward, hold 2 counts, then
retract the chin. A double chin may appear. Feel the back of the neck
lengthening. Hold for 10 counts.
Neck Turns
2. Rotate the neck very slowly with your mouth kept closed. Never drop
the head back on the cervical spine. Slowly circle, lifting the head
across from shoulder to shoulder. Never do fast head circles or neck
swings. The whole exercise should take 16 slow counts.
Back
3. To realign a slouching back. Stand up, place your palms behind onto
the lower back, then pull abdominal muscles in. Imagine you have an
invisible fist placed just between your rib cage where it is soft which
is pushing you up. Hold for 10 seconds. Avoid over-arching the back
and pressing down into the lower spine.
4. The Prisoner: Realign spine and midback tension. Place hands behind
head with elbows out. Sit on edge of your chair with abdominal muscles
pulled in. Slowly turn the upper body to the left, looking round behind.
Then slowly turn back to centre and round to the right. Repeat 4 times.
5. Sit on edge of seat, abdominals pulled in. Bring your hands to chest level, elbows wide. Press the elbows gently back, bringing the shoulder blades closer together. Hold for 10 counts, then release.
6. Arm, Neck & Back Tension Release:
Sit on edge of chair, hands at level of chest, elbows wide. Imagine
you are avoiding a punch, but move slowly, pull your abdominal muscles
in and round the spine as your arms lengthen forward. Hold 8 counts.
Now still holding hands, push the arms forward and up, lifting and lengthening
the spine. Hold arms long above the head for 8 counts. Slowly release
hands, bend elbows and slowly lower arms down. Finally, roll the shoulders
4 times backwards and 4 times forwards. You may hear cracking noises,
don't worry, this is normal.
Lower Arm & Wrist Stretch
7. Sitting at your desk, move your chair back 6 inches, place your fingers
spread on outside edge or rim of desk and gently push your palm under
the desk top and feel the wrist stretch, Hold for 10 seconds, repeat
3 times.
Hands & Fingers
8a. On the desk, stretch out the arms, palms down, fingers splayed.
One at a time, press each finger down as far as it will go, then one
at a time, lift each finger up as high as it can go. Clench and stretch
the fingers out 4 times, then rotate the wrists several times in each
direction.
8b. Fingers: Massage each individual finger into palm of the hand.
Inside Thighs
9. Place wastepaper bin between feet. Pull in tummy and squeeze bin
without moving knees. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat.
Waist work
10. Hold desk, sit on edge of chair, feet apart. Pull abdominals in,
curling back allowing pelvis to tilt, slowly curl back, squeeze buttocks,
breathe out and slowly roll up.