2 Yoga Breathing Techniques that Improve Focus at Work

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Breathing exercises or pranayama is a vital part of any yoga practice. Use these techniques at work when you can’t seem to get focused or when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

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Nadi Shodhana pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

This breathing exercise is used to cleanse and rejuvenate your Nadi or subtle life force channel. It relieves pent-up stress in the body and soothes the nervous system, so you feel calm and can concentrate with laser focus.

Sit up straight and relax your shoulders. Connect the tips of your index and middle fingers of your right hand in between your eyebrows and place your touching ring and little finger on your left nostril and your thumb on your right nostril.

Inhale deeply and then gently press your thumb down on your right nostril so that no air can escape. Now, inhale in through your left nostril and then press the left nostril closed with your ring and little fingers. Remove your thumb from your right nostril and breathe out from the right nostril. Next, breathe in through your right nostril and exhale from the left.

Now you have completed one complete round of Nadi Shodhana pranayama. Complete nine rounds by breathing alternately between the nostrils as you did above. You may wish to keep your eyes closed during this pranayama to further relax your nervous system by closing down stimulation through the eyes. Practice breathing this way deeply and smoothly.

Bhramari pranayama (Bee breath)

This pranayama helps you bring your mind back to the present moment when your mind is scattered or overwhelmed. Bee breath wards off unnecessary thoughts and drives you to the present moment. Being in the present allows you focus on the job at hand instead of thinking about past or future.

You will hum the sound “hmmm” which is part of the “Om” sound—the healing sound of the universe. Practicing this breathing exercise allows you to reset your mind so you can focus on the now. It will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your next project.

Sit up nice and tall and close your eyes. With your eyes closed, observe the sensations in your body. Go within and find your stillness. After a few minutes, gently place your index fingers on the cartilage on your ears to close them.

Now, take a deep breath in and as you exhale, close up your ears by gently pressing on the cartilage and begin humming with the sound a bee makes in a high pitched tone. Continue breathing in and then on the exhalation, humming. Do this three to five times.

Tips For Staying Fit While Working From Home

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Despite what many may think, working from home takes a lot of time and a lot of work. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “They don’t really have a job, they just work from home.” That statement couldn’t be farther from the truth! Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first ones to drop is fitness.
When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems to get clean and family and/or friends who demand attention, it’s understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it shouldn’t.

Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better – two things that are especially beneficial to busy at-home workers and business owners. Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. If that still doesn’t convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer. What more could you ask for?

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It all sounds great, right? But you still don’t think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape. Don’t worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in. Below are some tips to help you get started.

Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it’s so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this think of yourself as having a traditional “office job”. In most “office jobs” when you go home for the night you leave work behind and concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you.

During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run up and down the stairs (or even just walk). This will also help rejuvenate your mind.

Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work.

It’s not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You’ll get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read # 1 above if you just said you have no “after work” time).

If you don’t won’t to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner and you don’t have to compromise calories as you would if you instead opted for take-out.

One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you don’t have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you don’t have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don’t have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.

If you haven’t already done so, invest in a good hands-free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, triceps dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.

Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Don’t forget to keep water on hand and sip some all throughout your day.

Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it’s also beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help build your core strength (your trunk area).

Don’t forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.

As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And if you have kids, by exercising you also set a great example. So, to help you, your business, and your family it’s time to stop making excuses and just start moving!

 

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Why It’s Important To Keep Fit With An Office Job

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In this day and age, we do a lot of sitting. We sit at the table or on the couch to drink our coffee in the morning. We sit in the car to drive to work. We sit at our desk all day at the office job, only to come home and plop on the couch.

That much sitting isn’t good for bodies that were designed to spend most of their time walking around to hunt and gather. It’s no surprise then that we now face a slew of health issues caused at least in part by our sedentary lifestyle.

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Exercise Will Help Prevent Back and Neck Issues 

Sitting hunched over your desk typing way for hours on end can cause all sorts of back and neck issues. Taking the time to move more, stand up, and stretch frequently, and taking a brisk walk at lunchtime can do a lot to balance that out. If you’re starting to notice some issues from sitting too much or simply want to be proactive, it’s a good idea to make an effort to move more on a daily basis. Wear a pedometer, or set yourself a timer to remind you to get up every 30 minutes, and stretch or walk around. Small changes and simple exercises you can do right at your desk can make a big difference in how you feel.

 

Moving More and Keeping Your Weight In Check Prevents Chronic Illnesses

I don’t have to tell you that being overweight and out of shape is bad for your health. They bring with it an increased risk for a wide range of chronic illnesses from heart disease and stroke to hip and knee trouble to name a few. Prevent them or at least reduce your risk greatly by getting in shape and keeping your weight under control.

Exercise and Good Nutrition Strengthens Your Immune System 

Eating a healthy diet and working out regularly not only prevent major health issues as discussed above, they keep your body in better overall shape. They also ensure that your immune system is up to the job of fighting off colds, flu, and other “minor” infections. That means you’ll stay healthier throughout the year and that means fewer sick days.

Walking And Fresh Air Clear Your Head And Increase Productivity 

Last but not least, there’s nothing better than getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine for a brisk walk to clear your head. When you’re spending a little time throughout your workday taking care of your body and mind, it will reward you with increased focus and productivity. That means that even though you’re taking time for non-work related tasks, you actually end up getting more work done throughout the day.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Stuck On A Project? Go For A Walk And Clear Your Head

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We all have days when the work just seems to flow. We get more done on those days and the quality of work seems better too. Then we have days where nothing seems to work right. We get stuck on a project with a looming deadline.

It can get frustrating and we do everything we can to get through it. We try to force the flow and work long hours to get stuff done. Sadly that isn’t always the best approach.

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The next time you’re stuck on a project and just can’t get into the flow of things, I want you to try something different. I want you to walk away for a bit. Yes, you heard me right. No matter how tight your deadline or how urgent it is to get the project done, I want you to walk away. It doesn’t have to be for a long period. Just go for a quick stroll around the building or down the road.

If that’s not an option, at least take a quick walk down the hallway or do a few stretches and jumping jacks in your office. All of this will help you clear your head and re-energize you. Often that’s just what it takes to get “unstuck”.

There are two positive things at work when you get away from your desk and move around, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The exercise will get your blood moving and that means more blood, and more oxygen is sent to the brain. If you can get outside even better. The fresh air and sunshine will help invigorate you.

Secondly, by walking away and not thinking about the project for a little while, you’re giving your subconscious a chance to take over. Often you come back and find that the solution to your problem was right in front of you. You just didn’t see it. Once you sit back down at your desk after your short break, you’re ready to get back to work.

Don’t be surprised to find that the flow that was so elusive earlier is suddenly there and the work flows much easier. You’re unstuck and back to making massive progress. That’s well worth spending a few minutes away from your task, isn’t it? Not only does it make you more productive, it also helps you de-stress and it’s good for body and soul.

 

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Simple Desk Exercises To Ease Tension

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One of the biggest problems working at a desk all day brings is the neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by it. When we spend a lot of time hunched over our desk, furiously typing away for hours at a time, it’s no wonder that our muscles cramp up and we start to ache.

Thankfully there are a lot of preventative things we can do throughout the work day to keep this from happening. Here are some simple ways to ease the tension in your neck and shoulders.

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One of the best things you can do is to simply take frequent breaks. Get up from your desk and walk over to get a glass of water, make a cup of coffee, or go to the restroom. The simple act of standing up and walking around frequently will do a lot to help you stay relaxed and feeling good. When you feel your shoulders starting to tense up, you can even do some simple exercises while sitting in your office chair.

Start by sitting up straight in your chair and do some shoulder lifts to warm up and loosen up your shoulders, upper back, and neck. Bring your shoulders up to your ears and drop them back down.

 

Rolling your shoulders both forwards and backward is another great exercise that will gently stretch those bunched up muscles. When you’re done with that, try squeezing your shoulder blades together in the back. This is a great exercise to offset some of the forward hunching you do while working on your laptop. Last but not least do some spine twists to ease the tension in your lower back.

Reminding yourself to do a few simple exercises like this throughout the day will help you stay in shape and more importantly pain-free. When you get up from your desk, you can do even more. Do some gentle stretching, move your arms, and shake them out. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to work out the kinks. The key is to do these exercises frequently and regularly. It won’t take more than a few seconds at a time.

Don’t wait until you’re in a lot of pain and ready for a trip to the chiropractor. Be proactive and take care of your body by moving more and doing simple stretches and exercises at your desk. Your body will thank you.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Should You Get A Standing Desk?

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We’ve all seen the alarming headlines in health news publications and social media. Sitting is the new smoking and it has all sorts of detrimental impacts on our overall health. As someone that spends a good eight to ten hours a day sitting in front of your desk, you may be wondering if it’s time to get a standing desk. I wish I had a clear answer for you, but frankly, it depends.

It depends on the work you do. For example, if you do a lot of writing while sitting at your desk, the words may simply not flow the same when you’re standing up. If on the other hand, much of your day, or at least part of your workday is spent reading and responding to email or looking over reports, a standing desk may work well for you.

desk

 

Before you head out and buy an expensive new desk, give it a try. Grab some boxes, big books, or head to the garage and build a little shelf-like contraption that you can put on top of your existing desk. Try working standing up for a couple of days and see how you like it. If it works well for you, then you can invest in an actual standing desk.

Here’s an interesting idea. You don’t have to work exclusively from a standing desk to benefit from it. Why not try spending part of your workday standing up when the tasks lend themselves to this style of working and sit down the rest of the time. You can either add a shelf or boxes to your desk as outlined earlier or have a second desk that’s set up for working while standing up. Look around your office. You may already have a file cabinet that’s just the right height. If you’re working from a laptop, it’s easy to switch back and forth throughout the day as needed.

If you’re enjoining the standing desk, or are ready to try something else and move even more, you may want to look into a treadmill or stationary bike desks. You can work away while taking a slow stroll on your treadmill, or while riding a bike. A quick search online will show you some great examples of these active movement desks. If you’re on a budget, rig up a shelf on your existing treadmill, or buy a fairly inexpensive pedal attachment for your office chair that allows you to pedal away while you work.

If nothing else I want you to realize that sitting at a desk isn’t the only possible way to get work done. Experiment, try some new desk habits and see what works well for you.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Keep Healthy Snacks In Your Desk To Not Eat Junk

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We all have days when we have to run out the door without breakfast, end up working through lunch or have to stay at the office much later than anticipated. Missing important meals like breakfast lunch or dinner has us heading to the office vending machine or hitting the fast food drive-through to grab some junk food. We know this food isn’t good for us and won’t help us to stay fit and healthy. But what choice do we have?

Actually, we have a choice. We can choose to be prepared for these meal emergencies with a small stockpile of healthy snacks. You can keep all sorts of healthy snacks in your desk from nuts and seeds to energy bars and even fresh fruits and veggies. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and planning.

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Come up with a few non-perishable, but healthy snacks and drinks that you can keep in your desk at all time. This could include nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and even a few special treats like a bar of dark chocolate. All natural energy bars are a great choice on days when you have to skip a meal. Herbal and black teas along with bottled water are nice to have around for a healthy drink that feels more like a treat.

If you know you’ll need a snack, pack it with your lunch in the morning. A few fresh veggies and a bit of hummus, or a fresh fruit like an apple or a banana make for healthy snacking. A bit of cheese or a hard-boiled egg are other good options that are packed with protein and will keep you full until your next meal. Keep it simple, stick to real food as much as possible, and choose things that are easy to grab and go. Come up with a short list of easy to prepare snacks that you enjoy and stay stocked up on them. If you keep it simple, it won’t take you more than a minute or two to prepare and pack your snack in the morning.

Of course, missing lunch or long meetings in the evening aren’t the only times you’ll be tempted by junk food. Your healthy food emergency stash will also come in handy when you’re feeling tired and stressed and just need a little snack, or when the box of cookies or pizza in the break room is calling your name. Trust me, it’s much easier to resist the temptation when you’re munching on a tasty, healthy snack.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

How Moving More And Sitting Less Can Increase Your Productivity

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Have you ever been hunched over your desk, glued to your chair for hours on end trying to finish a project on time? When we’re working hard, or facing a tight deadline, our instinct is to put as much time as possible in, working fast and furious. And it works, for a while…

Then it starts to catch up with you. Your mind is tired, the work doesn’t flow the way it did in the beginning. This is when you have a choice to make. You can walk away for a bit, clear your head and come back refreshed and ready to get back to work. Or you can tough it out and keep plugging away. You may be surprised to learn that walking away, going for a walk, and just moving around will help you work faster and better when you sit back down at your desk.

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And this isn’t just true during crunch time. Moving more and spending less time sitting at your desk can help your productivity throughout your work week. Anytime you take a break to do a few stretches and exercises, go for a stroll through the building, or even leave for a quick walk outside, you come back refreshed and with more focus. Additionally, “losing” time that you spent moving around forces you to focus and get things done. Work has a tendency to expand to whatever amount of time you give it. By taking away some of that time, and using it to workout and move more, you’re simply making yourself work more efficiently when you do sit at your desk. In other words, it can be in your best interest to spend less time in your office chair.

Give it a try the next time you’re stuck on a task, or the work simply doesn’t flow as it should. Get up and move around. Go for a walk and clear your head. Get your body moving and blood pumping through your body including your brain. Then come back to your work task. You’ll notice that suddenly the work goes much smoother and you have no trouble getting into the flow. You’re able to focus and concentrate much better and your productivity soars.

There are two reasons for this. The first is that the exercise as mentioned increases blood flow and more oxygen is transported to the brain. More importantly, though, during the time you spent moving around, your brain didn’t really stop working on the task you set it. Your subconscious and possibly also your conscious mind where working things out, allowing you to sit down and take care of business upon your return.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Good Diet and Exercise Work Hand In Hand

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Let’s talk about diet and exercise and how they work together. To clarify, by diet I mean the food you eat, not necessarily eating a low calorie or restricted diet. To make sure you stay fit and healthy, both at work and in your life in general, you have to get at least some exercise and eat a fairly healthy diet.

Let’s look at why it is so important to take care of both and how they complement each other.

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If you’re wanting or needing to lose a bit of weight, you’ll see the quickest and best results by combining exercise and eating a healthier diet lower in calories. Not only will the exercise help you burn more calories and thus burn more body fat, compared to cutting calories alone, it has other benefits. Endorphin and other “feel good” chemicals released by your body when you workout will help you stay in a good mood and motivated to work on losing weight.

They can even suppress your appetite at times, making it easier to eat less. Additionally working out will help you tone and strengthen your body. That helps burn more calories overall as you increase muscle mass and tones and tightens as you start to lose those extra pounds.

If you’re an athlete, you know how important it is to fuel your body with the right types of foods. A healthy diet can help you perform better, not just during your workouts, but also during your regular work day. If you’re having trouble focusing and staying productive, try cleaning up your diet and going for a daily walk. You’ll see some results quickly when you start to feed your body with the nutrients it needs.

Interestingly as you start to work out and work on getting fitter, both in the office and at the gym after work, you’ll get more interested in the proper diet to fuel your workouts and keep you on top of your game. This works both physically and mentally. On the flip side, eating healthy gives you the energy to go out and move more.

Maybe it’s being motivated to go for a quick walk after eating a fresh salad for lunch instead of feeling like an afternoon nap at your desk after a heavy lunch. Maybe it’s feeling energized and walking over to talk to a co-worker instead of emailing after a healthy breakfast. Or maybe it’s finding the willpower to hit the gym after work thanks in part to a healthy pick me up snack instead of heading home to cook dinner.

Office Workout Tips | Wonderfully Fit

Easy Ways To Get Into A Healthy & Productive Work Mindset

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You want to stay fit and live a healthier lifestyle. Since you spend a large chunk of your day at work, it’s important to make an effort to work in a way that’s both healthy and productive. There’s a lot you can do from packing your lunch, to hitting the gym on your lunch break and moving around more throughout your busy workday.

You start out with the best of intentions to change your work habits, but without the right motivation, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. That’s why working on mindset is just as important as proper diet and exercise. The good news is that everything you do to stay healthy and active throughout your workday will also help you stay more productive.

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A healthy body and mind can work better, faster, and longer than one plagued by various aches and health issues. This is an important concept. When you take a few minutes out of your busy day to stretch, do some yoga, or go for a brisk walk in the fresh air, it’s not actually a waste of time. You’ll come back refreshed and ready to work with a clear mind. You’ll easily make up the time you spent taking care of yourself. Once you realize this, it becomes easier to allow yourself to take care of your body at work. That alone isn’t enough, though.

It’s easy to fall back into old habits and behavior patterns. Set yourself up for success with constant reminders. These could be email alerts that pop up on your phone reminding you to choose healthy food or go for a walk. Or it could be a vision board or inspirational picture that hangs over your desk. Post-it notes on your computer can also be helpful to remind you to move more. If you’re struggling with finding the time to workout during your busy day, set a few alarms throughout the day. Get up and do some sort of exercise anytime the alarm goes off.

Last but not least, build in some accountability and a way to track progress. This could be a co-worker becoming your workout buddy, or it could be as simple as keeping an activity and food journal. Knowing you have to tell someone about that donut or writing down that you didn’t go for a walk at lunch is often enough to help you make the right choice.