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eLearning Series:
Your Most Popular Exercise & Fitness Questions
Learn the right way to get into
shape...
( 50 articles
in this series )
Fitness
Ideas At The Office
Staying fit while holding down a fulltime
job takes a lot of effort and determination, but there are
ways you can make it easier on yourself! More companies
are becoming fitness-friendly and installing exercise centers onsite
or at least offering incentives for staff to exercise, so check
to see if your company has any special programs for employee
fitness. Most employers today recognize the value of a physically
fit employee that regularly exercises and some have even begun
programs to encourage fitness throughout the company. These
programs can be wonderful tools that include some great rewards
for the participants, but the greatest reward is your own accomplishment
of physical fitness. If your workplace doesn’t offer anything
like this, don’t despair – there are still plenty of options
for you to get fit and stay sharp at work.
Consider
organizing an office fitness group that meets once or twice
a week to exercise together. Undoubtedly there are
other staff members within your office that are interested
in staying healthy and fitting exercise into the day. Get your
supervisor’s permission to put up an announcement about your
fitness group and be sure to know where the first meeting will
be held and how formal the arrangement will be. The best fitness
support groups meet regularly and aren’t about competition
but focus instead on encouraging one another to reach individual
goals. Once your group has formed and set up a basic structure
for meetings, you are basically good to go. Most office exercise
teams are together just for the fun of it, but if your group
decides to go further, consider entering a fundraising race
for a worthy cause. Many teams do this and raise large sums
of money due to the team’s position within the office. This
is a wonderful way to use fitness as a way of giving back to
others.
If organizing an office fitness group just isn’t your cup
of tea, then do your best to squeeze in fitness throughout
the workday. If you can keep weights at your desk or in your
office, take a brief ten-minute break in the afternoon to lift
some weights. Walk around the office as much as possible and
even go to other floors of the building if possible. By squeezing
in as many steps as you can, you increase your overall activity
level for the day and boost your fitness. Buy a pedometer to
wear during the day and aim for 10,000 steps every workday.
You can also use the pedometer at home to monitor your progress.
At the office, try to find a quiet place where you
can do some stretches and muscle-building exercises like squats
and lunges. If there isn’t a separate room available, try using the bathroom
for your personal workout area. Stretching can really be done
anywhere as long as you aren’t too obvious with it. Check out
the outside of your company’s building to see if it is suitable
for outdoor exercise. If the area is safe and suitable, use
your lunch hour to go outdoors and walk or do stretches. Taking
a break outside can help break the tedium of the workday and
refresh your mind and body, so take advantage of the outdoors
for the sake of your whole body.
Keep in mind that some
corporations offer rewards to employees who understand
the value of fitness and regularly work out
to maintain good health. Check with your Human Resources coordinator
to see if your company offers a similar program. You should
also check with HR to find out if the company covers any kind
of gym membership for employees. Sometimes employers will cover
a portion of the cost of a yearly gym membership, recognizing
the value of an employee that is physically fit and healthy.
The Human Resources coordinator can be a great fount of information
on your company’s health and fitness policies, so take the
time to chat with him or her and find out exactly what is offered.
Even if your company doesn’t cover anything, there are still
plenty of other ways that you can stay fit on the job without
sacrificing time or dignity.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2005
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