Rules to Better Health and Exercise in the Workplace - 5 Rules

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.

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.

Check out our standing desks at SSW:

Everyone knows the benefits of a workforce that eats well and has a healthier lifestyle. They are better engaged, take fewer sick days, and are generally happier.

There are many ways to help keep your team healthy!

1. Buy them fresh fruit and veggies every Monday - you can set up an automation to remind someone to buy it, or set up a subscription with a delivery service.
2. Don't encourage drinking - there are healthier ways to bond at events
3. Free lunches - aim to keep them healthy
4. Healthy options for birthday celebrations like a cake made from fruit

It can be really hard to change your behavior and habits in order to improve your life. The best way to change your behavior is to start small by creating tiny habits.

The Tiny Habits method, developed by Dr. BJ Fogg, emphasizes starting with very small actions that are easy to do, which helps build momentum and eventually leads to lasting behavior change. The key to this approach is to link your new tiny habit to an existing habit, ensuring it fits seamlessly into your daily routine.

Video: Forget big change, start with a tiny habit: BJ Fogg at TEDxFremont (17 min - last 5 min is the most valuable)

Use this simple template to create your tiny habits:

This formula helps you anchor the new behavior to something you already do regularly, making it more likely you'll follow through.

Tips for new habits

• Set a goal - Think about what you want to improve. E.g. I want to drink more water
• Anchor it - Attach your new habit to a reliable and specific trigger in your daily routine. This ensures it fits into your day without requiring extra effort to remember. E.g. Pour my morning coffee
• Start small - The habit should be tiny, so its easy to complete and hard to skip. E.g. Drink a glass of water
• Celebrate immediately - Reinforce your habit by celebrating immediately after completing it. This helps create a positive association with the behavior.
  E.g. Give yourself a high five
• Don't forget - Initially, you might need a reminder. E.g. Set an alarm, ask your partner to remind you, put a sticky note in your bathroom

Examples

By starting with something small, you remove the barrier of feeling overwhelmed, making it easier to stay consistent. As these tiny habits become automatic, you can gradually expand on them, leading to significant and sustainable changes over time.

What do devs, designers, accountants and managers all have in common: they spend a lot of time at a desk - sometimes up to 8 hours a day!

Sitting for extended periods can lead to chronic pain and tightness in key areas of the body: the hip flexors, chest, and back. These muscle groups become tight and imbalanced, leading to discomfort, poor posture, and potential long-term injuries.

Video: Do you know to stretch when working at a desk? | Jeoffrey Fischer | Rules (5 min)

The pain points

Here are the common pain points that arise from sitting for long periods, affecting key muscle groups and leading to discomfort and potential long-term issues:

• Back - The back muscles become weak and strained from slouching, placing stress on the spine and leading to pain and stiffness
• Chest - Sitting hunched over a desk causes the chest muscles to tighten, contributing to poor shoulder posture and restricting breathing
• Hip flexors - Prolonged sitting keeps the hip flexors in a shortened position, leading to tightness and reduced mobility, which can cause lower back pain and hip discomfort

The solution: stretches to relieve tension

Here are detailed stretches to target each of these areas:

1. Back - Thoracic spine stretch

✅ Benefits: This stretch opens up the chest and shoulders, improving posture and relieving tightness caused by slouching forward.

1. Stand or sit up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Interlace your fingers behind your neck and bring your elbows parallel and pointing forward
3. While keeping your core engaged, slowly bend backward from your upper back, gently pushing your chest out and lifting your gaze toward the ceiling
4. Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds and repeat as needed

2. Chest - Chest opener stretch

✅ Benefits: This stretch relieves tension in both the chest and back, helping to correct rounded shoulders and ease back strain.

1. Stand or sit with a straight spine
2. Interlace your fingers behind your back and straighten your arms, pulling your hands away from your lower back as far as comfortably possible
3. Lift your chest upward and push your shoulder blades together, feeling a stretch across your chest and upper back
4. Hold for 20-30 seconds, and repeat a couple of times

3. Hips - Hip flexor stretch

✅ Benefits: This stretch lengthens the hip flexors, helping to counteract the tightness caused by sitting.

1. Start by standing with your feet together. Take a big step forward with your right leg and lower your body into a lunge position, with your left knee touching or hovering above the ground
2. Make sure your right knee is at a 90-degree angle and directly above your ankle
3. Shift your weight forward into your hips, feeling a stretch along the front of your left hip and thigh (hip flexors)
4. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides

Long-term solution: exercise

While stretching helps to alleviate tightness, regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy body and preventing chronic issues. Aim for:

• Frequency - Exercise at least 3-4 times per week
• Intensity - Focus on moderate-intensity workouts, such as brisk walking, cycling, or strength training. You should feel your heart rate increase and sweat, but still be able to hold a conversation
• Duration - Each session should last 30-60 minutes, balancing cardio for heart health and strength training to improve muscle tone and posture

This combination of stretching and exercise will help you combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting, ensuring better posture, flexibility, and overall well-being.