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Rules to Better Health and Exercise in the Workplace - 2 Rules

Are you at your best when you sit down for +8 hours straight every day? No? Neither are we.

That's why it's recommended to encourage your employees to get up and move regularly, and stay fit and healthy.

Remember... Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy code :)

  1. Do you encourage daily exercise at work?

    A healthy team is more energized, happy, and productive, and a culture to encourage this should come from the top.

    Every company should allocate 15-20 minutes per day to getting their employees up and moving. It could be planking, pushups, or even just a fast walk, preferably outdoors to soak in some natural sunlight for a healthy dose of Vitamin D, while being mindful of sun safety practices.

    The best time for this is generally just before lunch, so as not to be too disruptive. It's a good idea to allocate an Exercise Master to help initiate this and encourage people to join.

    If it really takes off, potentially get some basic equipment in like kettlebells or yoga mats, to give people more options.

  2. Do you know the dangers of sitting?

    Your body in an amazing machine. It constantly improves itself to get better at whatever you do most. Unfortunately for most of us, the thing we do most with our bodies is sit.

    This causes your core to weaken as its no longer needed to hold you upright, and also causes your hip flexors to shorten, as your legs are always pushed out in front of you at about 90 degrees.

    The solution is as simple as you might hope... just stand up and walk around every half hour or so... the simple act of standing up at your desk can drastically help to counter the damage you do by sitting.

    The ultimate fix is to do a hip flexor stretch whenever possible. The easiest one for most office spaces is putting your knee on a seat behind you and bending your supporting leg while pushing your hips forward. If you're doing it right, you should feel a stretch at the top of your leg on e the front where the leg meets the pelvis.

    Hip Flexor Stretch
    Figure: Good example - It may look silly, but your body will thank you for it

    Check out our standing desks at SSW:

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