We’re often asked how to improve well being in the workplace.

But well being is not just about the work “place”. As well as what we do in our places of work, sleep, hydration, nutrition and exercise outside work are all needed to contribute to keeping us healthy.

Here’s some of our top tips for staying well throughout your day…

Mornings

• • A glass of hot water and lemon can kickstart your digestive system before breakfast.
  • A good breakfast sets you up for the day but avoid sugary cereals. Try eggs or porridge for a good, nutritious start. Your gut health and microbiome affect every system in your body, eat with awareness.
  • Lose yourself in a good podcast or audio book on your commute. Or even a real book!
  • Do you have to carry a laptop? Carry it over a different shoulder. It’s not the load that breaks us, it’s the way we carry it!
  • Using a mobile phone a lot? Check in with your non dominant arm. If you have elbow discomfort, maybe always holding the phone with that hand with a bent elbow could be contributing. Swop hands!

Daytime

• • Is your screen directly in front of your eyes? Raise it if needs be – some books underneath can do the trick. Ensure it’s directly in front of you too.
  • If you use a laptop at the desk, add a separate keyboard and mouse to prevent your head disappearing into your screen over the course of the day.
  • Have a standing desk? Use an anti-fatigue mat when standing to reduce pressure.
  • Constant meetings? Ask for a standing meeting, it’s amazing how much faster things get done. Why not suggest a walk and talk if you need to meet a colleague?
  • Conference calls? Take your call on a a quick stroll around the block, get some fresh air and daylight – away from the glare of artificial lighting and recycled air.
  • Bullying in the workplace should not be tolerated in any form. Report it.
  • Try using your mouse with the non dominant hand some times. Not as tricky as you might think and it’s good to work your brain with new and different movement patterns.
  • Reduce caffeine and increase your water intake. If you have more than 1 or 2 coffees a day it’s important to take on more water. The caffeine in both coffee and yes, tea are diuretic so hydration is affected. Dehydration can affect your ability to concentrate too.
  • Constantly stressed? Again look at your caffeine intake – could it be contributing?
  • Get some exercise. Regular, consistent exercise has been shown over and over to improve physical and mental health.
  • Find something you actually like to do. If you HATE what you’re doing – is that really something you’ll keep up in the longterm? Probably not. We’re obviously big Pilates fans in the studio, but our teachers are also swimmers, climbers, dancers, hikers and yogis. Experiment. Move. Find what you love and make it convenient and easy to fit into your day. If we can help get you started, let us know.

Evenings

• • Use your commuting time to decompress and turn off your work day stresses before home time.
  • Try a mindfulness or meditation app like Calm or Headspace. Take just a few minutes out every day to chill out.
  • Try our 4-7-8 Breathing video – a few minutes to de-stress.
  • Invest in a foam roller to open your shoulders. Not sure how? We’re big fans of the roller in the studio, come try a class, or check out our YouTube channel.
  • Lost in a TV box set? Lie on the floor and do some stretching as you watch, or better still, lie on your foam roller
  • Take an epsom salts bath. A great way to relax, ease tired muscles and help you sleep.
  • Difficulty with sleep? Good sleep hygiene is critical. No screens an hour before bedtime. Avoid alcohol or other stimulants before bed. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and get up the same time every morning to reset your body clock.
  • And lastly, have some fun. Don’t take life too seriously.

If you are interested in learning more, or in our corporate services, get in touch.

Integrate Pilates into your Day

We’re often asked for tips and advice about how to integrate Pilates into your day.

Life is busy, so rather than stress you out with yet more to do, for the moment just think about your alignment and your movement a bit more during your day. Be more aware.

We know many of you are sitting for work, so when you’re sitting, try to sit on your ischial tuberosities (that’s your sit bones in layman’s terms). Those little nubs you see at the bottom of your pelvis. That’s what they are designed for. Many times we slump and find ourselves sitting on our coccyx (tailbone). Try to stay more upright and take your head out of the laptop or phone now and again, like now!

Of course, we move and rotate and extend and flex our spines as we go through our day, but if we unload the joints and align them with more ease some of the time, we reduce tension and compression and then they’ll serve us longer. Plus in good alignment bones take more load which is good for your bone health too.
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