Up and running, even during 9 to 5!

We are here to talk about keeping the body up and running during office hours. It is about mobility. 

To begin with, let’s get down to the basics. What is body mobility? Well it is the ability of the joints in the body to move freely through a given range of motion without having to deal with any kind of restriction from the surrounding tissues. In even simpler words, it helps the joints in opening up and preparing the body for more challenging movements. 

With prolonged office hours and stiffer postures, our bodies tend to lose mobility, even more so during the new normal work-from-home culture. One might not register the side effects of reduced mobility in their prime, but with age, it tends to give way to loss of muscle strength and fluid build up in feet and legs. Now what’s absolutely interesting is adoption of a few easy to do practices that can potentially evade reduction in mobility while being at work.

TAKE SMALL WALK BREAKS

In the to-do list that you prepare to ensure timely accomplishments, mark a small 5 minutes break every one hour to take a walk around in the office or at home. It will help in blood circulation and combat lazy thoughts. If you are a manager, you can introduce this as a new year’s resolution in your team. Because employee wellness is vital to their productivity.

STAY HYDRATED

Probably the most redundant advice our doctors and mothers have given us is to keep drinking water. In office-like environments with continued air conditioning, the moisture in our skin blows out resulting in chapped lips and dryness. Keep a bottle of water on your desk and put your name on it too! Employers can look at personalising these bottles to welcome newbies on-board. 

GRAB QUICK BITES

Dry fruits and chia seeds are powerhouses of energy and hunger-quenching foods. They are easy to store and do not require refrigeration. Keeping a small box filled with these, they can save you from resorting to biscuits and chips. Organisations can collaborate with food manufacturers to keep their employees on a healthy diet.

REGULATE THE CAFFEINE INTAKE

The idea is very simple here, reducing the dependence on coffee/tea to take you through the day. While it helps in coping with the work stress and keeping oneself from being drowsy, 2 - 4 cups before sunset should suffice and avoid cardio ailments in the longer run.

While all of these quick to-dos can lead to better mobility and eventually flexibility as well, a conscious regime of self care even under high work pressure can give way to better decision making and ensure health with age. A 10-15 minute mobility session before the actual work out can also result in better movements.