The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Workaholic, turn your desk into a mini-gym Posted: 18 Sep 2013 10:12 PM PDT Too busy to take a walk outdoors or exercise at the gym due to work constraints? How about exercising in your workplace? It is possible for workaholics, who spend most of their time in office, to exercise right from their desks, without having to go to the gym or even outside. A health therapist at Krogh Consultancy Sdn Bhd, Ar'nie Rozah Krogh, noted that a 15-minute exercise daily would help to avoid work-related physical and mental stress. "Just 15 minutes, that is good enough, but of course the longer you can go, the better it is. "But 15 minutes daily or a total of 105 minutes a week is the least recommended amount of time to keep you fit and ward off problems affecting your organs," she told Bernama during the Holistic Health In The Office workshop organised by the Bernama Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur, recently. Ar'nie said that based on research, 65% of office workers get sick due to work stress and another 35% due to physical injuries. "Due to stress, today more people in the developed world are dying of diseases like heart failure, diabetes and other ailments," she said. So Ar'nie shared some tips on how workers, especially workaholics, could maintain a healthy lifestyle in the office. Turn your desk into a mini-gym She mentioned several things people could do to make their workplaces a healthier environment. "Available space, desks and other office furniture can double as exercise equipment. "You can do dips using the chair or the edge of the desk by placing your hands on the edge, and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than your seat. Then, raise yourself by straightening your arms," she said. Ar'nie suggested doing push-ups by using the desk, leaning against it and then pushing away. Workers could also lift objects with their legs, keeping the object close to the body and toward the middle of the torso. She said that while sitting at a desk for long periods of time might seem like a good way to stay productive, it is very unhealthy. "The workaholics should set an alarm reminding them to get up and walk around regularly. "You need to take breaks every hour or two to get up and move. A lot of low back condition happens from just sitting for a long period of time that weakens the muscles at the back," she said. Watch your posture "The number one thing that gets people into trouble, as far as a downgrade in their health is concerned, is their posture," she said. She noted that certain ergonomic changes could really make a difference - maintaining the keyboard at a level that does not require straining to reach (ie. it is not too high or too low), and sitting with legs flexed at a 90-degree angle and feet resting comfortably on the floor. She also recommended strengthening the muscles involved in posture - including the abdomen, the muscles attached to the back of the spine and the gluteals - to avoid injury to the muscles of the neck, lower back, arms and legs. "It's important to maintain a balance between stretching and strengthening muscles," she said. "When muscles are weakened because of poor posture, what typically occurs is that the opposing or opposite muscle group becomes taut. So the balance comes in making sure that the taut muscles are stretched and the weak muscles become taut," she said. Helpful exercises include shoulder squeezes, back bends, walking, and tightening and contracting the buttocks, she added. Ar'nie said smiling brings about a sense of relaxation; it helps the immune system to work more efficiently and keeps the mind positive. "Smile also can keep someone stay positive. All you have to do is try to think of something negative, but keep the smile, otherwise the test won't work. "You will soon see that it is hard to combine the negative thought with the smile," she said. "When we smile, our body and mind are sending us a message that everything is okay and smiling will help to lift depression and sadness, and smiling frequently works better than any type of medication to relieve you of stress," she said. - Bernama, September 19, 2013. |
| Working out in the workplace recommended for workaholics Posted: 18 Sep 2013 10:12 PM PDT Too busy to take a walk outdoors or exercise at the gym due to work constraints? How about exercising in your workplace? It is possible for workaholics, who spend most of their time in office, to exercise right from their desks, without having to go to the gym or even outside. A health therapist at Krogh Consultancy Sdn Bhd, Ar'nie Rozah Krogh, noted that a 15-minute exercise daily would help to avoid work-related physical and mental stress. "Just 15 minutes, that is good enough, but of course the longer you can go, the better it is. "But 15 minutes daily or a total of 105 minutes a week is the least recommended amount of time to keep you fit and ward off problems affecting your organs," she told Bernama during the Holistic Health In The Office workshop organised by the Bernama Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur, recently. Ar'nie said that based on research, 65% of office workers get sick due to work stress and another 35% due to physical injuries. "Due to stress, today more people in the developed world are dying of diseases like heart failure, diabetes and other ailments," she said. So Ar'nie shared some tips on how workers, especially workaholics, could maintain a healthy lifestyle in the office. Turn your desk into a mini-gym She mentioned several things people could do to make their workplaces a healthier environment. "Available space, desks and other office furniture can double as exercise equipment. "You can do dips using the chair or the edge of the desk by placing your hands on the edge, and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than your seat. Then, raise yourself by straightening your arms," she said. Ar'nie suggested doing push-ups by using the desk, leaning against it and then pushing away. Workers could also lift objects with their legs, keeping the object close to the body and toward the middle of the torso. She said that while sitting at a desk for long periods of time might seem like a good way to stay productive, it is very unhealthy. "The workaholics should set an alarm reminding them to get up and walk around regularly. "You need to take breaks every hour or two to get up and move. A lot of low back condition happens from just sitting for a long period of time that weakens the muscles at the back," she said. Watch your posture "The number one thing that gets people into trouble, as far as a downgrade in their health is concerned, is their posture," she said. She noted that certain ergonomic changes could really make a difference - maintaining the keyboard at a level that does not require straining to reach (ie. it is not too high or too low), and sitting with legs flexed at a 90-degree angle and feet resting comfortably on the floor. She also recommended strengthening the muscles involved in posture - including the abdomen, the muscles attached to the back of the spine and the gluteals - to avoid injury to the muscles of the neck, lower back, arms and legs. "It's important to maintain a balance between stretching and strengthening muscles," she said. "When muscles are weakened because of poor posture, what typically occurs is that the opposing or opposite muscle group becomes taut. So the balance comes in making sure that the taut muscles are stretched and the weak muscles become taut," she said. Helpful exercises include shoulder squeezes, back bends, walking, and tightening and contracting the buttocks, she added. Ar'nie said smiling brings about a sense of relaxation; it helps the immune system to work more efficiently and keeps the mind positive. "Smile also can keep someone stay positive. All you have to do is try to think of something negative, but keep the smile, otherwise the test won't work. "You will soon see that it is hard to combine the negative thought with the smile," she said. "When we smile, our body and mind are sending us a message that everything is okay and smiling will help to lift depression and sadness, and smiling frequently works better than any type of medication to relieve you of stress," she said. - Bernama, September 19, 2013. |
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