Wellbeing

Sneak in some stretching while at work.

“There’s plenty of time to exercise,” said no one ever. There are, however, savvy ways to sneak exercise into your workday. Jessica Zanca, a wellness coach at Chronos Body Health in Metairie, puts a new twist on multi-tasking to boost your health quotient while on the job.
 

Tone Up:

Yes, you can do this using your body weight while at work, without equipment.  Jessica recommends utilizing time spent on the phone or reading documents to simultaneously do calf raises, air squats, stationary lunges or standing twists while squeezing your abs. Her personal goal – 100 daily air-squats between clients. “Time is precious,” Jessica said. “Ten-minute spurts can be effective if you’re committed to incorporating them daily. At the end of the week – it adds up to almost an hour.” An easy variation – take that conference call on your cell phone while you go for a walk or schedule a walking meeting instead of sitting around a conference table.
 

Hydrate:

Many of us women worry that we retain water and add weight or puffiness by drinking too much, but that reasoning is backwards. It’s when you’re not drinking enough water that your body retains it. “We’re made up of water, so if we don’t drink water, we hold it,” Jessica said. “Our organs need water, and our body is smart. It won’t release water if you’re not replacing it.” When your body holds water, your system can’t flush toxins. Jessica recommends starting your day with a gallon jug of water and marking on that gallon exactly how much you need to drink every two hours while at work to finish the gallon by bedtime.
 

Reach for the Stars:

Stretch three times a day for five minutes – when you wake up, after lunch at the office to speed digestion and before bed. In 2 weeks, you’ll be more flexible and feel better because your body will have an easier time breaking down lactic acid and detoxifying. It will also help combat certain consequences of old age. “As we age, we need long, lean muscle to combat osteoporosis,” Jessica said. “It’s not just for a look. Stretching helps elongate fibers and maintain range of motion.” Be conscious of those muscle fibers. We use them every day, even when not ‘working out.’  We’re pushing and pulling, picking things up, like children and grocery bags, or walking up stairs. “I don’t want to be 80 and unable to move properly,” Jessica said. “That means I have to start taking care of my muscle fibers now. We have this one vessel – that’s it. We have to make it count.”