corporate wellness Archives - Page 17 of 21

Healthy Holidays: Resolutions That Stick

Resolutions That Stick Have you ever given up on a resolution because it just didn’t fit your schedule? Sometimes it’s just not realistic to start devoting an extra two hours to healthy eating and exercise when already balancing family time with a demanding work schedule. This year, we encourage you to simplify your resolution list because, all too often, we set ambitious goals that fail to hold past January. You might have an ideal image of yourself for 2020, but remember that significant life changes take longer than just a year. Instead of fizzling out early, try these tips to plan resolutions with staying power. Start slow, then build Say you have the goal to lose ten pounds by spring. Take a step back and consider the realistic daily actions and habits needed to make weight loss happen. Perhaps you [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, goals, habits, resolutions, SMART goals|

Stress Less: Declutter to Destress

Declutter to Destress We don’t need studies to realize that clutter can be stressful. Still, researchers are finding more and more that disorderly spaces can hurt stress hormones levels and even our likeliness to procrastinate. Why? Psychologists believe that the visual chaos from clutter restricts our ability to focus. Clutter is distracting, slowing our brain’s processing speed compared to when we’re in a tidy environment. In some cases, this can lead to poor decision making. Parting with our belongings can be emotionally challenging since we become attached to what we own. That’s why experts suggest decluttering with the help of a friend or family member. Instead of touching the objects you’d like to get rid of, have somebody else hold it and ask if you need it. If you touch the item, odds are you’re more likely to keep it. [...]

Tags: clean, clutter, corporate wellness, declutter, destress, spring cleaning, stress|

Healthy Holidays: Thoughtful and Healthy Gift Ideas

Thoughtful and Healthy Gift Ideas Even the most creative gift-givers need a little inspiration when it comes to planning the perfect holiday gift. Here’s a list of health-minded gift ideas for the special people in your life. Cooking or knife skills classes—Solidify their kitchen confidence and ability to prepare healthy foods with a certificate to a cooking or knife skills class. New sneakers or workout clothes—A new workout outfit or exercise shoes can give us the push in confidence we need to start (or continue) a regular exercise regimen. Kitchen tools—Consider a new set of cooking utensils, a carbonated water maker, a cold brew coffee maker, an immersion blender, a food processor, a high-speed blender, an immersion blender, or a spiralizer. A new cookbook—Look for titles written by Registered Dietitians for healthful recipes along with legitimate nutrition advice. High-quality olive [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise gifts, fitness gifts, gift basket, gift of health, healthy gifts, healthy holidays, wellness company|

Stress Less: How Breathing Fights Stress

How Breathing Fights Stress What’s the first sensation you notice in your body when you face a moment of stress? Are you shaky? Does your heart race? Do your palms sweat? Maybe your breath becomes quicker and shallower. These physiological changes are all regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which continually works to regulate heart rate, respiratory rate, and digestion. When we face any stress, whether big or little, the sympathetic branch (better known as fight-or-flight) of the autonomic nervous system activates. Even bad traffic on the way home can cause the release of adrenal hormones into the bloodstream that triggers fight-or-flight in multiple parts of the body. The result can be higher blood pressure, faster breathing, a quicker heart rate, and even elevated blood sugar levels. It might seem like there is little we can do to stop fight-or-flight [...]

Tags: breath exercises, corporate wellness, destress, mindfulness, stress, stress relief, wellness|

Try a New Move: Prevent Knee Problems with Step-Ups

Prevent Knee Problems with Step-Ups Many people with knee problems end up avoiding exercise altogether, but many resistance exercises, like step-ups, strengthen lower-body musculature resulting in improved knee function and decreased knee pain. Step-ups (with or without weight) Stand with your feet hip-width apart. If you’re using weight, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing inward. Step your left foot onto a platform, such as an aerobic stepping box, plyo box, or stair. Keep your torso vertical and align your knee over your toes. Push off your right leg to lift your body onto the platform beside your left foot. Shift your weight onto your left foot and slowly lower your right foot back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Try using bodyweight first, then add weight if it feels too easy. [...]

Tags: box, corporate wellness, exercise, fitness, knee pain, plyo box, step-box, step-ups, steps|

Try a New Food: Seasonal Side Dishes

Seasonal Side Dishes Fall has arrived, and with it comes an abundance of hearty, seasonal produce. What are your favorites? Pumpkins and apples might get the spotlight, but so many other fruits and veggies hit their prime once colder weather arrives. Look out for some of the highest quality cruciferous veggies, squash, root veggies, pears, grapes, and pomegranates in the coming months. Seasonal fruits and vegetables tend to pack the most flavor since they’re often sourced locally and get to ripen on the vine rather than a truck. In some cases, local produce requires less travel to reach your grocery store, farmers’ market, or restaurant meal, which can mean fewer transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. And whether you’re buying at a farmer’s market or grocery store, their abundance in the marketplace means a lower cost to you. This time of the [...]

Tags: autumn, clean eating, corporate wellness, fall foods, nutrition, recipe, seasonal sidedish, side dish, squash, sweet potato|

Try a New Move: Core Strengthening for Everyone

Core Strengthening for Everyone What are your fitness goals? Some of us want to run hundred-mile races or squat twice our body weight. But most of us have simpler goals like getting to a place where taking the stairs or getting down on the ground feels comfortable, and that’s OK! Wherever you are in your fitness journey, build a foundation that allows you to move how you want. An excellent place to start is building up your core strength, which can protect your spine, ease lower back pain, and improve balance, stability, and posture. We need some degree of core strength and stability in nearly every move our body makes. A weak, tight, or unbalanced core can undermine your ability to comfortably perform everyday activities like bending, lifting, twisting, and carrying. Even sitting and using a computer or taking phone [...]

Tags: abdominal muscles, core strength, corporate wellness, exercise, workout|

Indulging Without Overeating

Indulging Without Overeating Just when life feels stressful enough, the holidays arrive. For many, this time to unwind and relax, yet people commonly describe their stress levels as “very” or “somewhat” elevated from mid-November into the New Year. Pressure from finances, buying the right gifts, and a disrupted eating and exercise routine can drive some people to seek comfort or distraction in food. As a result, plans for an occasional indulgence may turn into an overeating habit. Making simple shifts in how you think about food might help. First and foremost, let go of the notion you need to punish or correct yourself for indulging. You can always return to your regular eating routine regardless of how much you ate or how much weight you may have gained through the holiday season. But if you find yourself stuck in a prolonged period [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, hunger, mindful eating, nutrition|

Healthy Holidays: Holiday Food Safety Quick Tips

Holiday Food Safety Quick Tips When hosting friends and family—particularly our older loved ones, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and pregnant women—safe food handling should be top of mind. When mishandled, protein-rich holiday centerpieces, like the Thanksgiving turkey, can harbor severe amounts of illness-causing microorganisms. Here’s a plan to facilitate a safer and enjoyable holiday meal. Fresh meat, poultry, and fish Before you bring home a fresh turkey, ham, goose, roast, or fish, make space on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator where a leak-proof plate or platter can be used to prevent juices from dripping onto other items in the fridge. Make the meat, poultry, or fish the last item in you pick up at the grocery store to keep it cold for as long as possible. Place it in a plastic bag on the bottom rack of your [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, food safety, holiday eating|

Stress Less: Visualization

Visualization Do you ever find yourself mentally visiting a serene beach or favorite vacation spot when things get stressful? Visiting your “happy place” can’t help you escape all your troubles, but it might provide temporary relief from stress and anxiety. Even just imagining a peaceful setting is shown to convince the body and unconscious mind that you are in a safe, beautiful, and therefore relaxing environment. This practice is called visualization, and like other meditative exercises, it offers a distraction to redirect your attention from a stressor to something more peaceful. The goal is to learn how to cultivate a state of relaxed detachment where you can watch, but not become overwhelmed by, stressful thoughts and sensations that enter your mind. With time, quick thoughts of a peaceful setting can begin to act as a cue that brings about relaxing [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, stress, visualization|