The weight loss industry is full of myths, half-truths and gimmicks. But weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated. There are numerous research-backed techniques you can implement during your typical day that can aid your weight loss goals.

 Some of the tips discussed are purely dietary (like cutting back on sugar), while others are more lifestyle-focused (like chewing food more slowly). By implementing a handful of these small, healthy habits, you’ll be on your way to healthfully shedding those unwanted pounds.

Welcome back to The Healthy Desk Jockey...

On today's episode, we are talking about taking care of your most important muscle, your heart!

Did YOU know?

Your heart beats about 115,000 times a day; it pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day; it’s about the size of your fist; and it can continue beating even when it’s disconnected from the body.

[So, what are YOU doing to take care of your heart?]

Your heart is the powerhouse of your whole body. When you take care of your heart, your entire body benefits. When your heart is healthy, you function at your best.

Listen to learn a few tried and true heart-healthy habits AND a few that you might not be aware of...

Join Stacy Fritz from FIT2order to learn about the the tools and strategies that will help you build the foundation for good health, FITness, nutrition and mindset skills for success....including losing the Quarantine 15! 

A panel at the Global Wellness Summit brought together top journalists and future-forecasters to predict the big wellness trends of 2021. 

Stacy Fritz shares the three trends that the panel determined would gain serious momentum throughout 2021 including how to support each of the trends with the tools and strategies needed for employees.

Listen back on the Webinar: Corporate Wellness for a Rising Remote Workforce delivered a few weeks ago by Stacy Fritz from FIT2order.

This webinar replay includes: 

-Insights on the corporate responsibility of physical and mental health and safety of the employee
-Implications of emerging shifts in workforce wellness from “nice to have” to corporate responsibility.
-Wellness at Work trends for 2020 and beyond
-Tools and technology to lead your employees thru and beyond the COVID-19 crisis that prioritize
health and wellbeing wherever they are working
-Actionable ideas on how to keep employees connected including 2 short work break demonstrations

[Research on the Benefits of Yoga is Catching up to What Yogic History Has Touted--for a mere 5,000 Years.]

The 5,000 year-old practice of Yoga has established its relevance in today’s world. The Yoga Industry is an $11.5 Billion Industry, and Yoga practitioners have grown from 20 million to 36 million in just 4 years. The number of male Yogis has doubled, while the over 50 crowd who practices yoga has tripled. The simplicity of the practice (requires only some space and a mat) opens many venues--from health clubs to churches to parks to corporations. Yoga, with all of its mind/body benefits, has entered the American mainstream. Has it entered the doors of your organization?

[Trending: Yoga at Work]

The popularity of Worksite Yoga Classes follows these national trends, with onsite classes having doubled over the last several years (2). The increase of Yoga participants has led to the increased understanding of the many physical and emotional benefits of Yoga as well as a de-mystification of Yoga—it’s not a religion and it’s not about doing media-focused “pretzel” poses.

Nancy Wolfson from Yoga Journal explains that most corporate yoga classes are employee driven. She attributes the corporate yoga boom to employees requesting onsite classes. Employees know they’re stressed; they know their backs and wrists hurt; and they know yoga can help.

[Yoga, an antidote to work-related stress?]

With 61% of Americans citing their jobs as their major stressor, many employers are seeking ways to reduce workplace stress. Could the answer to the call be as simple as onsite yoga classes? A recent study analyzed 13 trials with over 1300 participants and found that employees who do yoga at work are less stressed than their peers. 

In fact, stress is cited as the top reason most people start a yoga practice. At HBO, Program Director, Bill Boyle, can’t keep pace with the yoga demands of the employees: “The deep breathing and relaxation employees get from yoga help them to be more focused and less anxious.”

[Yoga for Back Pain]

Yoga has proven to be effective in reducing and relieving back pain, including back pain associated with prolonged sitting. Additional research suggests that yoga may be as effective as physical therapy for generalized low back pain, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine (2017). In the study, people who attended weekly yoga sessions experienced improvements in pain and activity limitations that mirrored the results of those who attended physical therapy.

Have a listen......

Every 2 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Chances are you, your employees, or their families have been impacted by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be in full swing in just 2 short months.

It’s time to start planning your company’s pink initiative! And as you do, think about how you will get your employees involved to not only bring awareness to this all-too common disease, but to celebrate your breast cancer warriors, and to give to a cause in a manner indicative of your work culture.

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is more common after menopause, but younger women can develop it, as can men (though rare). The encouraging news is that breast cancer death rates have decreased by 39% since 1989. But breast cancer remains a significant health problem. As Florida surgeon John A.P. Rimmer explains, “Breast cancer is not a single disease. Some types are more aggressive than others. Cancer cells are nasty and sophisticated. The amount of knowledge we have is huge, but the cellular mechanism is hugely complex.”  In other words, we still have a long way to go to get to that cure.

[Bring Awareness to Your Employees]

Awareness efforts should include the basics on early detection: the importance of getting a mammogram and a discussion with your doctor regarding when and how frequently you should schedule your mammograms. In addition, awareness messaging should include the importance of understanding CONTROLLABLE risk factors like getting physical exercise (including workouts AND movement work breaks); eating a healthy diet that reduces inflammation in your body; and avoiding excessive alcohol use.

Have a listen...

We will be sharing 5 easy awareness-based activities for your company’s October Breast Cancer Awareness initiative.

Today, I am sitting down with the one and only, Anna Fitzgibbon. Anna is the owner of OutGrowth, a FIT2order FIT coach AND Pattie and my longtime friend.

We will be chatting it up about Anna's super cool business, OutGrowth, that connects student interns, businesses AND local farms, how she started her business AND why it's a win-win for ALL including our beloved desk jockeys.

Anna and I roll up our sleeves and share the importance of getting outside, connecting to nature and how we can all learn thru local farm experiences.

Enjoy!

[Are you sitting down for this?]

The CDC calls it “Occupational Sitting.” The medical community calls it “Sitting Disease.” Others refer to “The Desk Sentence,” “The Desk Jockey,” and “Sitting is the New Smoking.” These terms have emerged from the growing body of research linking prolonged sitting to fatigue, weight gain, chronic illness, and early death.

[Maybe you should take a stand.]

The average person sits more than half his waking hours. Studies show that people who sit for extended periods are at increased risk for the following:

·     Heart Disease

·     Type 2 Diabetes

·     Certain Cancers (breast, colorectal)

·     Obesity

·     Back and Neck Pain

·     Disability

And the kicker? Even if you exercise regularly for one hour a day, it is not enough to undo the negative health of effects of a sedentary work-lifestyle. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in its “Workplace Solutions” publication, calls for the need for employers to reduce the “safety and health hazards” of occupational sitting. The NIOSH advises companies to implement policies, programs and strategies that address the hazards of prolonged sitting, suggesting standing stations, educational workshops, and work break strategies. 

[What’s an Occupational Sitter to do? Give yourself a break.]

The research on the health risks of being sedentary is not allbleak. Studies suggest that minimizing the health risks associated with prolonged sitting is simple: Sit less and move more In other words, take frequent, short breaks spread throughout your day. In addition to improved health, work breaks can also improve your productivity.

In our Puritanical society, taking breaks at work may seem counterintuitive to being productive, but experts disagree. MIT Sloan Executive Lecture Bob Pozen claims that working longer hours does not equate to increased productivity. Taking frequent and carefully planned breaks helps to improve your focus and your energy, not to mention your health.

So, if you’re looking for ways to rev up both your health AND your productivity, be mindful of the fact that hours worked is not equivalent to productivity gained. “We need to do away with time as a success metric,” says Pozen. 

[Not all work breaks are created equal.]

The type of breaks we take matter. Too often, we take breaks when we are already tired and stressed, so we reach for the caffeine or the high sugar snack to help us cope. These types of breaks actually make us feel more fatigued. The key to making work breaks effective is to plan them into your schedule ahead of time. Examples of effective work breaks include:

Movement Breaks

·      Walking breaks—even if it is one jaunt up and down the stairwell

·      Stretch breaks—consider what aches and pains need tending, perhaps a table top stretch for your chest and legs or a standing thumb stretch for the pain in your wrist.

·      Micro-workouts—keep an elastic fitness band in your desk drawer and do one 5-minute superset (e.g., Chest Presses and Deadlifts) every hour and get your workout in!

Stress Management Breaks

·      Mini-meditations—pull away from your computer screen, detach and breathe deeply.

·      Breathing techniques—to calm yourself, breath in slowly for a count of 4 and exhale slowly for a count of 6.

·      Setting goals—again, pull away from your computer screen and set a new personal goal, then spend a few minutes visualizing yourself having attained this goal.

For more information on the importance of taking purposeful work breaks or on FIT2order’s portal of work breaks, connect2FIT, contact us.

Have you ever sat so long at work, engrossed in your latest project, that your butt literally falls asleep? Goes numb? Known as Dead Butt Syndrome or “gluteal amnesia,” the condition indicates that the muscles of your rear end are forgetting how to do their job because –--of inactivity.

[Dead Butt Syndrome=What’s Happening Down There?]

When we sit too long, blood flow is restricted, nerves get irritated and, over time, our hip flexors tighten and our gluteal muscles lengthen. This doesn’t mean our butts are “dead;” it means they’re weak and not activating efficiently. It also means that other muscles have to work harder to compensate. Translation: in addition to a numb or possibly inflamed gluteal medius, you may also experience back, knee, ankle and foot pain. Symptoms can be mild and occasional or severe and long-lasting.

Several studies have shown that sitting for extended periods of time has a major impact on how well we use our glutes—even when we exercise. For example, after an 8-hour day of working at your desk, you hit the gym for your daily workout. When your glute muscles aren’t activated properly during your run or your deadlifts, your smaller muscles end up taking over and instead of sore and stronger glutes, the next day you have a sore lower back, quads and tight hamstrings. For glute-strengthening exercises to incorporate into your workouts, see the exercise sections below.

[Reviving “Dead Butt”]

The primary source of Dead Butt Syndrome is a sedentary lifestyle—this includes a sedentary work-lifestyle. If you’re sitting at your desk for hours most days, you are increasing your risk. Keeping yourself active and healthy is key for prevention. So, how do you do this during your otherwise sedentary work day?

[FIT Tips to GET UP AND MOVE!]

FIT Tip 1: As soon as you feel that “tingle,” GET UP AND MOVE. Those big muscles down there were designed for big movement—take a flight of stairs to deliver a message, do 20 squats in front of your desk, or take a brisk walk out to your car and back.

FIT Tip 2: For every hour of sitting, GET UP AND MOVE for 10 minutes to get the blood flowing. Set a timer on your phone and create the movement habit.

FIT Tip 3: Whether standing or sitting, do frequent “butt squeezes” throughout your day. Clinching and releasing your glutes can help fire up those glutes, especially when you are helplessly bound to that chair and cannot GET UP AND MOVE!

[Dead Butt Work Break Exercises]

Not afraid to perform micro-workouts at your desk? Circuit through these office-friendly moves to revive your back side!

1.     Glute Activation Squats. Stand with hands on sits bones and perform 15 butt squeezes. Next place hands on hips and squat, pressing glutes to the back wall. Pause 2 seconds, press the heels of both feet into the ground and squeeze glutes as you return to standing. Do 10-20 reps.

2.     Lateral Leg Lifts. Stand tall with hands on back of chair or desk for balance. Lift left leg off the ground and flex your left foot. Slowly extend your leg to the left. Pause for 2 seconds and return. Complete 10-20 reps each leg.

3.     Letter 4 Leg Lifts. Stand tall with hands on back of chair or desk for balance. Place the ankle bone of your left leg on the heel of your foot. Your knee will be bent. Keeping this letter 4 leg formation, press left heel to back wall. Complete 10-20 reps each leg.

[Dead Butt Exercises for Your Workout]

Add these 4 exercises to your workout routine to help rebuild and retrain those gluteal muscles. Remember, these are functional moves not intended for heavy weight.

1.     Hip Bridge Walks with Glute Activation. Lying on your back, bend your knees so that your heels are directly under them. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Keeping yo