“How can I stay healthy at work?” A question that I have been asked a lot recently, so with that in mind I thought I would sit down and put together my top tips to help you stick to your healthy habits during the work day, and beyond.
Eight hours (plus!) at a desk, five days a week can take a toll on your body both physically and mentally, then pair that with trying to stay on track with healthy eating at the office, which isn’t always easy, especially when there seems to always be a birthday cake or pastries or even sausage rolls doing the rounds! That’s not even taking into account offers of lunches
Obviously, I’m not expecting or suggesting that you say no to absolutely everything as the main thing that I promote is a balanced lifestyle, and if a pastry every now and then is your food freedom then who am I to step in your way? Rather than preach that
There are a lot of things that can derail your healthy intentions at work, whether it is having to stay late, taking a client out for a last minute lunch.. you name it I’ve heard it – and have also experienced it! On top of that most people are also restricted in terms of
For some people Monday – Friday can be the easy part and it is the weekend’s where things go south, others can find that temptation is all around them in the work environment, or perhaps you have been “being good” and saying no for ages – take a weekend off and then find it hard to get back on track when it comes to avoiding the
A bad day can turn into a bad week in next to no time, the most important thing is not to dwell on the past so try not to let a bad meal derail you mentally. It’s over – move on and go straight back into your normal routine. Don’t be tempted to restrict / excessively exercise to make up for it, trust me you’ll only be doing damage in the long run.
Often times
- Prep for the week ahead
When it comes to healthy eating, preparation is the key to success. Planning and preparing your meals ahead of time will make healthy choices a no-brainer. Instead of running to the local deli, you’ll have a home-cooked feast on hand that can be heated up faster than you can walk to the shop. A bigger bonus is, in the long run, you will save yourself some extra money! Win-win situation. - If you don’t bring it you can’t eat it
Don’t keep snacks on your desk or you will end up nibbling at them mindlessly. Yes, we always get that mid-day slump and its quite easy to reach out and start nibbling to give us some energy but realisticallyits nibbling for the sake of it and not actually because we need to fuel our body with food. Keeping snacks away from our desk makes it that little bit harder to get tempted. Instead, get up have a little walk around and drink some water ora green tea. - Get active as often as possible
Use your lunch break to squeeze in a30 minute workout or walk, getting up and leaving your desk allows you to stretch the legs and loosen up the hip flexors. - Take your lunch hour Eating at your desk means that you are multi-tasking. Your attention isn’t on your work, and it is certainly not on the food that you are most likely inhaling. In order to be a healthy eater, you need to pay attention to what you are eating. You will enjoy your food more. You will ingest less of it. And, as a result, you should see the health benefits as well.
Got any healthy habits you’d like to share? Get in touch!
