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Keep Your Resolution to Live Healthier (at Work!)

Year after year, the most popular New Year’s resolutions are about improving health: losing weight, exercising, eating better, stopping smoking, and so on. The same people making the same resolutions year after year can only mean they didn’t meet their goals from the last new year, and it’s easy to get off course with all of life’s other commitments and distractions. There are only so many hours in the day, and who wants to go to the gym after a 10-hour workday?

The solution? Get more from the hours you have with these five healthy lifestyle choices you can make at work:

Exercise. Exercise opportunities hide even in desk jobs. Taking the stairs or parking farther away can improve your circulation and overall health. Get up, walk around, and interact with your coworkers in person instead of calling or emailing. Walk outside during rest and meal breaks, especially if you have a walking buddy. Stretch and do simple exercises at your desk. And be sure to exercise your eyes by changing your visual focus now and again.
Eat healthy. Mornings are hectic, so setting yourself up for healthy eating begins the night before. Before bedtime, try packing the next day’s healthy breakfast and lunch. Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and can cause you to avoid binging at lunch or snacking out of candy jars. If you find yourself in a fast-food line, portion control is more important than what you order. And good snacking choices like fresh fruits and veggies can make all the difference!
Hydrate. Load up on beverages throughout the day to keep your system at its best (and if you’re snacking on fruit, good water-rich choices include grapefruit, grapes, oranges, and apples). You can even set an alarm to remind yourself to drink. And BONUS—tea and coffee count toward hydration!
Nap. Feeling sleepy or slow? Napping in your car during rest breaks can have you returning to work refreshed and more productive.
Breathe. How are you breathing right now? Are you taking short, shallow breaths or long, deep ones? When people are stressed, their breathing gets quick and shallow. Over time, this breathing can become a habit that tricks the body into acting stressed when it isn’t. Take slow, deep breaths to calm your body and mind, and to deliver the oxygen you need to function at your best.

Who knew your workday held the key to a healthier and more productive you? Here’s to good health in 2017!

YES! News

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