This blog was written by Angie Scheetz.
We have all heard the phrase that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but who knew that eating a balanced diet would also make you more productive at work? That is what a recent study found.
The study was conducted by Brigham Young University on 19,000 employees from three large companies and was published in the Population Health Management Journal. It was discovered that employees with unhealthy diets were 66 percent less productive than those who ate whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
So, how can you be a more productive employee? Try these three simple ways to eat a more balanced diet and then get ready to impress your boss!
- Whole-grain goodness: Swap out your old rice, pasta, bread, and cereal for grains that are higher in fiber and are less processed. Brown and wild rice are excellent alternatives to white rice. Whole-wheat pasta, couscous, quinoa, millet, and oats are more whole-grain options to incorporate into your diet. When it comes to breads and cereal, check the label. Choose options that have at least three grams of fiber per serving. Check out the Whole Grains Council for more information.
- Fabulous fruits: Most people need three pieces of fruit per day to meet their individual requirements. You can do this easily by incorporating a fruit into your morning cereal or oatmeal, grabbing a piece of fruit for a quick and portable snack, and having a bowl of sweet fruit after dinner for dessert. The vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber in fruits are all great reasons to include them in your diet.
- Vary your veggies: One of the most challenging food groups to get into your diet, but also one of the best ones for you, is vegetables. It can be difficult to meet the four to five recommended servings per day, so how can you get these in to help balance your diet? One thing is to make sure that you are spreading them out throughout the day by including a vegetable serving at lunch and snack time. At lunch, grab portable veggies such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, mini bell peppers, and sugar-snap peas to add some variety and crunch along with your typical sandwich. Or nibble on veggies with a hummus dip for an afternoon snack. Make it a goal to try one new or different vegetable each week.
If you live in the Indianapolis area, consider registering for our Lite ‘N Up weight management program that helps build a healthy attitude toward food and fitness. Or contact me at ascheetz@nifs.org to answer your individual nutrition questions.
This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
We’ve all learned that exercise can play an enormous role in lowering one’s stress level and boosting a person’s mood. Supervisors in the workforce are no different—regular exercise has been shown to help those in management roles more effectively cope with their stressors.
This article writes that, unfortunately, when supervisors become overwhelmed with workplace pressures, their direct subordinates are the ones who become victims of the supervisors’ venting, hostile behavior, or negative comments. Therefore, regular exercise routines can not only enhance the physical and mental health of the supervisors, but also the wellbeing of the employees working for them.
Another reason why supervisors, especially those in a company’s upper management, should exercise is to lead by example. When you talk to an average new employee about exercising at the worksite, one of their fears is that their boss might view them as slacking off or just looking for ways to get out of work. When supervisors make exercising in their corporate fitness centers a priority, it shows to their subordinates that taking time for one’s own health is important and acceptable, provided that work duties and deadlines are still being met.
On a larger scale, when upper management, including CEOs and vice presidents, make fitness a priority, it sets a healthy climate for the entire company.
If you are a supervisor of even one individual, consider how your healthy—or unhealthy—choices can impact those around you. Set the standard in your work environment by becoming a leader in health.
This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
While exercising the brain is of great importance in retirement wellness centers to aid in preventing or reversing memory loss and dementia, it’s never too early to start actively increasing your “brain fitness.” Occasional memory loss happens to anyone, young or old. It often occurs in moments of fatigue, nervousness, or anxiety.
There are exercises you can do to increase memory and other cognitive skills. Just as you should incorporate variety and extra challenges into your physical exercise routines, you should do the same for your brain.
A few mental exercises suggested in this article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer are
- Learn one new word per day and find ways to work it into normal conversation.
- Learn a new language.
- Perform routine tasks in a different way.
Often in retirement or corporate fitness centers, we challenge clients by asking them to close their eyes or stand on only one foot while they do basic strength exercises, thus heightening their proprioceptive awareness and teaching better balance. Similarly, the article says that when you change up simple daily tasks, such as unlocking your front door with your eyes closed, you are activating more senses and key areas of the brain, keeping your mental function at its top level.
Make it your goal to add one mental exercise, such as a crossword puzzle, to your daily routine!
This blog was written by Penny Pohlmann, MS. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
Many of us have sedentary jobs and get very little physical activity, planned or otherwise. Additionally, it doesn’t help our waistlines that many of us prefer to spend our leisure time stagnant as well. With some planning and creativity, you can get your less-than-active hobbies moving.
Getting a Workout While Watching TV
It’s March, and I love
college basketball, so for the next few weekends I could park myself on the couch for hours of entertainment and bliss without moving a muscle. However, I know that long periods of inactivity have dangerous consequences. How can I “squeeze” some activity into my basketball watching marathon?
I get into the action with this “game” I’ve created for myself. When my team makes a three-pointer, I do five push-ups. Free-throws equal five squats each. I stretch during time-outs, and for every 10 points my team scores, I hold the plank for one minute. By the end of the game, regardless of how well my team played, I’ve probably gotten quite a bit of activity.
Cue Yourself to Take Exercise Breaks at Home and Work
If your hobby isn’t already active like hiking or biking, what reminders or cues can you create to remind yourself to take an activity break? Maybe you can take a lap or two around the block at the end of each chapter you read in your novel. Perhaps you can take a break to play with your kids outside when you finish a page in your scrapbook.
This type of activity can also be included in your workday, too. In fact, employees who get more physical activity are more productive at work. A well-rounded corporate wellness program can help you determine how to get your employees more active each day.
This blog was written by Fitness Staff. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
The e-mails are piling up, the phone is ringing off the hook, papers are stacked around you, and you are the go-to person at the office for all those who need a helping hand. While it may seem most productive for you to stay glued to your desk chair with your eyes fixed on the computer screen, it may actually not be the most productive choice after all.
Just as your body needs rest after tiring physical activity, your mind needs breaks as well. In fact, your brain will be more likely to perform at an optimal level if it given rest breaks, just like your physical body performs best with adequate rest. Research has actually shown that employees who spend time daydreaming are more creative and better at generating ideas.
So, before responding to those e-mails, answering the phone calls, and being the helping hand for all, step away from the desk! Take a couple minutes to clear your head. Go for a walk, chat with a coworker, or eat lunch outside. Your body and mind will appreciate that rest break, but so will your business!
This blog was written by Bethany Garrity. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
When was the last time you did an organizational health checkup? If your organization were one body, what would its state of health be? How would you read its vital signs? Permit me this analogy for a moment: The CEO is the head, the brain, the vision. Your employees are the rest of the body: limbs, skin, muscles, organs, and senses.
Brain directs and body makes it go.
Your organizational body is only as effective, healthy, and vital as its weakest part. If some parts are ailing or unfit, all are affected. From hangnails to heart attacks, the effects can be minor or devastating, but they cannot be denied.
What are you doing to help your corporate body stay healthy and fit in every part?
Usually there are two reasons your employee body may not prioritize a health-preserving/enhancing lifestyle choice. Either they just don't know how, or there's an obstacle.
Ignorance can be overcome by education―a connection with a knowledgeable staff member at your corporate fitness center, for example. And most often, an early encouraging outcome will spur your worker into action toward greater goals.
Obstacles can be many, and some of those are well beyond the organization. But with employees spending more than half of their waking hours at work, the employer has a prime opportunity to effect healthy change for its employees.
Support is mission-critical. At the right place and time, it makes all the difference.
This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
One commonly known benefit of corporate fitness centers is that when employees are encouraged to maintain healthy lifestyles, the company’s total costs for medical insurance and absenteeism decrease. Some agencies have chosen to take this one step further and pay for their employees to exercise.
Some state agencies in Kentucky have chosen to offer paid exercise breaks. Leaders in these organizations don’t feel like they are losing productivity because, “Often these employees are discussing work issues while they are exercising.” They also see a boost in these individuals’ morale. The amount of time that employees are permitted to exercise on the clock ranges from 90 minutes to five hours per week, depending on the agency.
Other organizations have similar motives, but different ways of compensating employees for their healthy habits. One well-known bank offers employees cash for various wellness activities. Fitting in at least one workout per month earns employees $20, taking a wellness assessment earns $50, and completing blood work or a physical earns $25 each. This particular company also pays employees for preventive care, for example flu shots and mammograms. The reward money is capped at $200 per employee.
Does your company have a system to reimburse employees for their time spent exercising or otherwise bettering their health? Or perhaps a money incentive for those who utilize the corporate fitness center?
This blog was written by Dan Walker. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
Many things in life can be hazardous to your health, such as smoking, drunk driving, and too much sun exposure. Many of these things remain in your control, fortunately, putting your health in your hands.
One thing you can’t control, though, that can potentially cause problems is daylight saving time, surprisingly enough. No one minds the extra hour of sleep that accompanies it in the fall, but the hour that is lost in the spring is a different story.
A recent study at Loyola University found that heart attacks are more common on the first Monday of daylight saving time, as well as traffic accidents and injuries in the workplace. Many people already have trouble sleeping, so losing one more hour of sleep time can make it hard for the first few days or weeks afterwards.
Here are some tips to help you better cope with the time change next time around.
- Go to bed and wake up a little earlier in the days leading up to the change so it won’t come as such a shock.
- Expose your body to light each morning after the change to help adjust your body’s sleep/wake cycle.
- Try not to schedule important tasks and projects that require your full attention until a few days after the change if you are worried you might be sleep deprived.
Along with these tips, remember that getting enough sleep each night is crucial to employee health year round. If you are struggling to get in seven to eight hours nightly, check out local resources and think about seeing your doctor to discuss your options. You can’t afford not to.
This blog was written by Penny Pohlmann, MS. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
Is your desk buried under a pile of paper, file folders, cords, and sticky notes? I know my desk can get a little out of control when class plans, forms, and notes start to pile up. In order to regain that sense of control and focus when my desk gets out of control, I take a few minutes to straighten things up a bit.
Did you know the state of your desk can actually affect your health and productivity at work? Researchers conducted a study of 2,000 office workers and identified the condition of IDS. Yes, IDS stands for Irritable Desk Syndrome, which is caused by a cluttered, messy, and poorly arranged desk. It can cause distractions and stress as well as back and neck pain.
Desk Organization Tips
Invest in employee health, sanity, and productivity at work and encourage them to spend some time cleaning and organizing their workspace. Consider these desk organization tips:
- Minimize visual distractions. Choose a
few favorite pictures, notes, or figurines and display them neatly so
that you can admire them from time to time.
- Increase usable desk space. Throw away or
file unneeded documents taking up space in your work area. (Don’t forget the floor and shelves,
too.)
- Tidy up. A neat space creates an atmosphere without distractions and stress, meaning you stay focused and on task.
- Sanitize. Wipe down your desk, phone, keyboard, and any other frequently touched surfaces to prevent the breeding and spreading of bacteria that could make you sick.
A tidy workspace tells your coworkers, managers, and clients you are organized and have your business in order.
Ergonomic Adjustment
Do you provide a corporate fitness center at your office? Ask the managers of the fitness center to provide a "Lunch and Learn" or demonstration about proper desk ergonomics to ensure that chair height and computer screen, keyboard, and mouse placement are optimal for minimizing neck, back, and joint pain.
This blog was written by Samantha Whiteside. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
How many times have you told yourself that if you were only allowed some flexibility at work, you could actually utilize the worksite fitness center, participate in a corporate wellness program, or be able to reduce your stress simply by walking outside? It has been found time and time again that worksites that allow flexible arrangements and promote healthier workplaces benefit in more ways than one.
The Ways Flexibility Improves Employee Health
Flexible working conditions not only have been found to reduce employee blood pressure and absence due to illness, but can increase job performance, productivity, and overall morale. Additionally, giving employees more control over their schedules has been shown to have positive effects on mental health, sleep duration, sleep quality, alertness at work, and heart rate.
Ask for Some Work Schedule Flexibility
If you are employed by a company that offers flexible schedules, take advantage of it! However, if you don’t have this option, speak with those in charge of scheduling and make a valiant attempt to work something out.
Who wouldn’t want to improve their mental and physical health? If a little flexibility can help you feel better and work more efficiently, it's a win-win proposition.
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