Setting Up Your Office Wellness Plan

At Linton and Associates, we whole heartedly believe in bettering oneself and being that the majority of our adult lives are spent in the everyday dealings of the office grind, it is important for employers to be supportive, too.

Previously, we have talked about everything related to office wellness -- from desk workouts to companies supporting healthy eating habits. Simply put, the benefits of company wellness plans are infinite and so are the possibilities.

Whether you own a small business and are juggling just a handful of honest and hardworking employees that you expect to see at your side till yours or theirs retirement, or you run one of the largest national conglomerates this country has seen, supporting employee wellness will not only benefit the livelihood of employees, but it also keeps things flowing smoothly at the office.

An Affordable Wellness Plan

Small and large companies alike have to deal with a budget. It doesn't matter if you bring in $10,000 or $100,000 a day, your company will still have expenses and adding another cost may not seem very appealing.

Luckily, you don't have to pay for a 'company gym' to promote employee wellness. Instead, start small and don't hesitate to accept feedback from employees. 

A few simple tricks include clearing out the snack room of sodas and offer water instead, which is refreshing and free of sugar. Do the same with the snack machine. Take out the candy bars and look for a healthy alternative like one of the many (literally dozens) of low calorie snacks that are now offered everywhere food is sold.

Once you have cleaned out the snack room, you can move onto encouraging physical fitness. For example, you could start a lunch walking committee. At the next Christmas party, why not hold a raffle and give away a couple gym memberships. 

Encouraging physical fitness will not just benefit the employees, but you, as the employer, will have more productive employees hitting those targets you are focused on.

Health Benefits

Health insurance, if you can get it, will help you achieve some of the wellness plans. Don't put it off any longer as health insurance is probably one of the best ways to keep your employees in the office and working strong.

Offering health care will encourage the worker bees of your company to get checked often and lead to less sick days as well as help every staff member focus on their health and well-being goals. 

Offering a flu shot at work or a visit from a nutritionist are two other employee wellness ideas that you can implement. Your employees will appreciate that you are looking out for their welfare and show their appreciation in more ways than one!

Smart Eating Habits at the Office

Whether in an office with a break room, overflowing with day-old donuts, or on the move with the convenience of fast food and gas station burritos to tempt, eating smart and healthy can be challenging. This is especially the case when you are pressed for time and there is something to fill that empty stomach right in front of you.

When your work day is as hectic as most, one can easily see why it's so much more convenient to nuke that frozen burrito. The 'I'll start on Monday' is probably the most common excuse in the book for anything -- from a homework assignment to a workout routine to eating more healthy. And, the result is that it usually doesn’t happen but is moved to the next Monday.

Sure, it's easier to just get that grease laced burger from the fast food joint across the street, but it's not going to help you fit into last year's bathing suit come summer. Here are some tips on developing smart eating habits at the office and on the job.

It Starts in the Morning

Breakfast is the most important part of the day -- people say it all the time and it is actually true. Eating a balanced breakfast in the morning serves two purposes:

1. It gets your metabolism going and active, and

2. It gives you the energy to get on with your day without the aid of an entire pot of coffee.

Wake up a little earlier and give yourself an extra ten minutes to actually eat something of substance rather than just rely on a cup after cup of coffee.

Ideally, protein and carbohydrates with a small amount of natural fat makes up the perfect breakfast. That's right -- one part protein, one part carbs, and a dash of fat on top.  A great example of a quick, healthy, and balanced breakfast would be a slice of toast with a layer of natural peanut butter and half an apple with a glass of water to wash it down.

Office Snacking

If you are working in an office environment, chances are your boss has you all day with a few breaks in-between. It's just as important to watch what you eat for lunch as it is to watch what you eat before and after – and that means those coffee breaks in the morning and in the afternoon.

If it is processed food, don't buy it and don't eat it. For example, instead of potato chips, buy some fruit or some veggies or you could even look into an all natural trail mix. Something with almonds provides you with energy and helps your brain in many ways.

 Perhaps, your office has vending machines and you can ask that they switch to healthier foods. Or, if you are in charge of that, consider switching to healthier options as this will keep your staff healthy and more productive.

Staying Fit Even with a Desk Job

Work can be confined and sometimes overwhelmingly stressful. This can leave you feeling tense and just not right. Workplace stress is a common dilemma, especially in the constricting office environment. Studies have documented that sitting for extended amount of hours is bad for your health.

However, there are ways to keep moving even if you are confined to a cubicle. Here are some great ideas to stay fit while at the office.

Stretching for Success

Stretches are the way to go, and there are quite a few that you can take a few seconds to do right in your desk chair. By interlocking your fingers and raising your arms above your head, you stretch and relieve muscles and open your lungs improving airflow in your body.

The shoulder stretch can be easily done from a sitting position by holding your elbow (left or right) with one hand and pushing it up your chest to stretch it. Hold for about 15 to 30 seconds and then do the other.

This simple stretch will help to relieve pains caused by stiffness from sitting in your chair all day.

Another great stretch for helping with the stiff neck that often comes with staring into a computer screen all day is the Chin Stretch.

Pull your chin into your chest until you begin to feel the tension in the back of your neck and hold there for 15 to 30 seconds. To further this stretch, slowly rotate your head around your neck as this will further relieve stiffness and stress.

Office Fit

If you find yourself working long hours and spending a little too much time and money in the break room, it might be best to start packing a lunch and working out some. Sure, you will pack a lunch and there might even occasionally be something resembling veggies in it. However, with your schedule, how on earth are you supposed to find the time to develop a workout routine let alone visit a gym?

While nothing beats a hardcore workout outdoors at home or in the gym, should you find yourself without the time or energy to hit it hard before or after work, there are a few awesome exercises you can do in the comfort of your cubicle. 

Bring some dumb bells to work like a set of 5-8 pounds and a set of 15 to 20 pounds. Practice some bicep curls by doing a set of 12 with your heavier weight and then back to work for a few minutes before you then repeat it.

With the small weights, you can get a little more creative and work your triceps by raising your whole arm towards the office ceiling while holding the lighter dumb bell.

Lastly, consider using your lunch break to hit the stairs if your office has them rather than the elevator or see if you can take a few laps around the nearby blocks. This will help keep blood circulating and potentially alleviate that drowsy feeling that comes on every afternoon!

Hot Weather and Energy Drinks

Summer is at our doorstep and most days are breaking eighty first thing in the morning. By the time noon rolls around, it’s well past ninety and sometimes recently it has been pushing one hundred. While it's always important to stay hydrated, in the summer it is even more important as the heat literally boils moisture from your body when you sweat.

Wherever you are – inside or outside – it’s important to drink a lot of water. It’s best to stay away from things like soda and energy drinks as they will actually further dehydrate you.

This may come as a surprise to you as soda companies and energy drink companies do not advertise this fact. And, seeing that these energy and sports drinks are often sold at your local gym, it’s hard to imagine that they dehydrate you – but it’s true!  

The Simple Science

The purpose of an energy drink is to give the consumer a sudden rush of chemically created energy thanks to a lab-developed combination of caffeine, sugar, and an 'energy blend' of select vitamins and minerals. And, it can do the trick.

Many report receiving a burst of energy as well as raised blood pressure and heart rate. If you drink this during an exercise session or while you are undertaking extremely hard labor, such as construction, it can be considered a great boost or a much-needed pick-me-up.

However, in reality, it is absolutely terrible for you and, in some cases, deadly. Studies have concluded that the amount of caffeine in these drinks can be equivalent to the amount in 240 cups of coffee, which is completely insane. In addition, the taurine milligrams found in one of these drinks usually amounts to nearly 4,000mg more than the recommended daily value of supplemental taurine.

Finally, contrary to popular belief, an energy drink does not hydrate you, and the idea that they claim there is 'no crash later’ is also false. The reality is that your body will be dehydrated, your heart will be strained, and there is always a crash to some degree when your body comes 'down.'

What to Do

While it may seem okay to just have one now and again, it may be better to forego them altogether. Of course, be sure to check with your physician about the effects before making any decisions about energy drinks as we are not a medical expert on the subject.

However, with a background in health and wellness, our conclusions are that water is always the best choice in the hot summer sun. Plenty of water will keep you hydrated, which will then keep you energized as well without risking your heatlh!