Tips for a Healthy Cubicle

Over and over I hear from the Guests here at H3, ‘I bet it’s easy to stay on track when you get to work at a place like this’ or ‘I bet it would be easy to stay in shape if I worked here’.  Well, for the most part, that’s true.

I had the privilege of spending the last 16 weeks of my college career as a Program Intern here at H3.  For those 16 weeks, I was immersed in the healthy lifestyle, eating the meals, teaching classes, attending classes and interacting with Guests.  It was a part of my life that I will never forget, and still apply what I learned from that experience into my job now.

Now, instead of leading a treading class or beach walk, I sit at a desk in an office for most of the day.  I love what I do; I get to spread the word of what a great place and program we have here at H3 with those who are looking to make the changes, as well as keep alum of H3 connected!

Unfortunately, the environment of the program is not as present, and you can find it a bit easier to slip out of your healthier habits.  So, I try to keep in mind the things I created as habits in my lifestyle four years ago during my program internship, and apply them to my now desk – life.

Here are a few tips that work well for me:

-  If you can, sneak in a workout first thing in the morning.  After a long day of work, with errands and commitments looming, an afternoon sweat session is usually the first to go.  Luckily, I am very close to a gym, so I can roll out of bed and be there in less than 5 minutes.  If you aren’t, try walking or jogging near your house or even try out an exercise video.  Promise yourself 30 minutes in the morning to get in your cardio or strength training.

- Invest in a large water bottle.  If you don’t have a water fountain near, a large water bottle is a necessity.  Keep it on your desk so that you are sure to get in enough water during the day.  Drink water instead of hitting up the soda machine!  It will also help you feel full, keeping ‘boredom’ hunger at bay.

- Stock your desk with healthy snacks.  The number one thing I took from H3 is to eat a Metabo Meal – a healthy snack in between meals.  Every few days or so, I visit the nearest grocery and grab a few apples, oranges, low fat cheese sticks, nut & dried fruit mix, carrot sticks and hummus to keep handy.  It’s when I am not prepared, do I go wandering for other (unwise) snacks…

- Try to limit my lunches out.  I am fortunate again to work very close to home, so I try to eat at home most days of the week.  If I know I am going to have a busy day, I try to wake up and pack a quick lunch – whole grain PB & J, fruit, and a few crackers.  In our office, we plan a ‘payday’ lunch – make a lunch date for every other Friday J  That way eating out is a treat, not an everyday affair.

- Walk around as much as possible.  Instead of emailing or using the phone, I walk to another’s office with questions.  Not only does it usually get done quicker, it gets me up and moving from my desk.  If you bring your lunch, you can also spend 15 – 20 minutes on a quick walk.

- Be prepared.  This is the most important part of making any healthy lifestyle plan work.  At first it may take a little more time planning, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.  I try to pack my gym clothes (if I missed the morning workout) so I can head straight to the gym without having to stop at home first.  And as mentioned before, I pack my lunch, water bottle and snacks so I can make the ‘best’ food choices.

These are just a few things I have learned while in the working world, but they help make living a healthy lifestyle much easier for me.  Hopefully you can take from them and apply them to your routine.

If you work in an office, do you have any other tips to stay on track?