How much of your work day do you spend sitting cramped behind your desk? We’re taking a stand against that office tradition – literally. We stand while on the phone, during meetings and even while answering emails. It’s all part of our own fitness revolution: a pledge to get healthier for ourselves and our families. The kick start was the invigorating third annual JustStand Wellness Summit, which taught me and VP of Media Production Heather Champine exactly how important – and easy – it is to take care of their health.
After learning that people who spend more time sitting are at risk of dying sooner regardless of their exercise habits, we’re determined to make our wellbeing a priority. A Puravida Fitness health and fitness team will be teaching us the basics of improving our health and fitness during our lunch hours. We’ll learn about cardio, strength training, flexibility, nutrition and more.
But we’re not starting from zero. As one of the most important health and nutrition agencies in the countries, many of our clients are world-renowned nutritionists, fitness experts, physicians and leading nutrition supplement companies. They’ve all taught us little tricks for maintaining a healthy body and sound mind. Here are a few:
• Keep moving. Accountant Anne Caron walks down the hall instead of using the intercom. She and Training & New Business Development Manager Cynde Bock are taking the stairs more often instead of the elevator.
• Drink water. We’re big on drinking a lot of water! Account Manager Heather Stetler sees it as another excuse to keep moving: you’ll have to walk to the bathroom eventually.
• Center yourself. Editorial Manager Robin Miller and I start our mornings with gratitude. Prayer, like meditation, helps us focus.
• Make exercise goals. Several employees agree that the easiest way to get into the exercise habit is to break your daily workout into three 10-minute internals. Publicist Lindsay Helgeson plans ahead, creating fitness goals for the upcoming months. By having a different one each week, she never gets bored.
• Track your food. Journaling is an easy way to see where your calories are coming from and if you’re missing any food groups or nutrients, according to Publicist Jennifer Hanson. Project Coordinator Alicia Ackerman adds that most of us don’t get enough fiber, so she’s started looking for ways to increase her intake.
• Look for science-based nutritional advice, not the latest fad. Lead Graphic Designer Shawn Turek researched many eating plans and is a big proponent of avoiding processed and high-glycemic foods.
Just by standing rather than sitting, you can burn an additional 50 calories an hour. This might seem like an arbitrary amount. Now consider that the average adult spends between 50 and 70 percent of their waking time sitting. By starting with small changes, we’re challenging ourselves to get healthy.
