Keeping Healthy at Work

Similar to many professionals, the majority of our work here at Diabetes Education Services, is done sitting down at a desk. Anne and I decided to take action to keep healthy and stay energized. We wanted to share some of our activities with you and hear how you like to keep healthy in your workplace.

1. We compete for miles.  We both have FitBits so we track our daily steps. Plus, we share a LifeSpan Treadmill Desk, which helps us work and walk at the same time. Each of us take 2 hour turns walking and working at a clip of 2.5 miles per hour. We also walk while talking on the phone.

Anne Carter, Director of Operations on the left, me on the right on the Treadmill Desk.

2. We drink gallons of spa water. We doctor it up by adding mint, lemons, berries, watermelon and whatever else is in season. It’s a fun and refreshing way to keep hydrated through out the day.

3. We lift weights at 2pm. We noticed we were getting sluggish in the afternoon and our creativity slumps. To beat this brain drain, we do strengthening exercises with four pound weights and upbeat music. At first, we were slow to fully commit, but now, it’s just a part of our daily routine.

4. We are committed to sleep.
With our FitBits, we track our nightly sleep hours, including deep sleep, time awake, REM and light sleep. Sleep decreases stress hormones, promotes creativity and gives us stamina. We can sometimes be heard bragging about getting 8 plus hours of sleep and the benefits of a great pillow!

5. We share healthy snacks. We decided to skip baked goods and junk food in the office (except the occasional black licorice and chocolate covered almond). Instead, we munch on fresh fruit, nuts, goat cheese medallions and kombucha with chia seeds.

6. Most importantly, we cheer each other on! When we get a good night’s sleep, walk a little extra or complete a difficult project, we compliment each other on a job well done. If one of us doesn’t feel like lifting those weights, the other one just starts and pretty soon, we are back on track.