6 Serious Office Health Risks

Sitting at a desk all day can be hazardous to your health. Back pain, eyestrain and sleep problems can all be results of increasingly sedentary yet stressful work environments.

The number of physically demanding jobs has dropped to less than 10% from 20% in the 1950s, according a study published by economic and social policy researchers at the Urban Institute, meaning the number of jobs that require some exertion were cut in half, leaving more Americans susceptible to desk-job-related health problems.

Here are six office-related maladies and how they can be prevented.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Problem: Any motion that is repeated over and over again can cause injury or pain, according to occupational-health-focused Denver Chiropractor Dr. T. Randall Eldridge. But carpal tunnel syndrome isn't just pain or soreness from too much typing. It's the tingling, numbness, itching or even sharp pain caused when a nerve that runs through the forearm is compressed by swollen ligaments and bones in the wrist, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Prevention: Before you're forced to treat carpal tunnel with acupuncture, drugs or even surgery, stretching and other exercises may help release tension in the wrist, the NIH says. And, contrary to what many believe, your wrists shouldn't actually rest on those cushy wrist pads that sit below your keyboard or mouse pad. They should actually be used as a guide for how high your wrists should be, according to occupational therapist to Marji Hajic. Hajic says hands should hover over the wrist rest and it should only be used as a rest in between bouts of typing.

Lower-Back Pain

Problem: Sitting for hours on end, particularly if you have bad posture, can be devastating to your body over time if you don't get moving on a regular basis. And back pain is actually a major reason for missed work for adults of all ages, according to the Georgetown University Center on an Aging Society.

But bad posture at your desk goes beyond the obvious slouching. Sitting up straight but curving your back too much can be a cause of lower-back pain as well, notes the NIH.

Having too fat a wallet in your back pocket can be a bad thing as well. Sitting on a large wallet can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can cause sharp back pain, according to UAB Health System in Birmingham, Ala.Prevention: Besides being better aware of your posture as you're sitting at your desk, getting regular exercise including abdominal strengthening activities should relieve some of the pressure on your lower back.

Other Joint Problems

Problem: The human body is meant to move, and staying in one position for too long can make joints feel tight. Sitting at a desk especially shortens and tightens the hip flexors, the muscles than help pull your legs toward your body, according to the Yoga Journal. And tight hip flexors can actually contribute to back pain as well since tight hips force the pelvis to tilt forward, compressing the back, Yoga Journal says.

Prevention: Besides getting up from your desk at regular intervals and walking around a bit, the Mayo Clinic recommends a number of stretches that can help loosen up your hips.

Eyestrain

Problem: Office workers who spend hours a day staring at a computer screen might tell you that after a certain amount of time, their vision gets blurry and their eyes generally become more sensitive. Those symptoms (as well as too-watery or too-dry eyes, a headache or a sore neck) could be indications of eyestrain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Prevention: To prevent eyestrain at your computer, increase your font size so you don't have to squint, suggests Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT - News) (though the font on this informative page might cause readers to do just that). You may also want to rest your eyes frequently by looking away from your computer screen and reducing any glare on your monitor, the Mayo Clinic suggests.

Pull for Strength !

The pull-up. In theory it looks simple; all you have to do is hang from a bar and pull yourself up. But many of us struggle to even move a few centimetres towards that bar, and just give up on the exercise altogether. However, pull-ups are one of the best exercises you can ever do. Imagine: You are moving your entire body using your upper body strength. That alone will tell you that pull-ups require great upper body strength and will help to pack on the mass if you are scrawny. And not to mention they help to widen the latissimus dorsi, the muscle in your back that is responsible for the v-taper.

To pull or not to pull?

Pull-ups offer many benefits:

They help to strengthen your upper body.

In moving your entire body, you will develop muscle as well as strength.

Your grip strength will improve; especially if you do pull-ups weighted or the towel variation.

Most people concentrate on the chest and biceps, and doing pull-ups will help to correct muscular imbalances.

You are only as strong as your weakest link

Most beginners will find that before they can even start pulling, their grip will fail them. Therefore, you should strengthen your grip to ensure that you can stay on the bar long enough to even attempt one pull-up.

One basic way to strengthen your grip is to just hang from the bar. Once you can hang for a minute, try wrapping a towel around the bar to increase the thickness of the area you have to hold; this will help to increase your grip strength. Another way would be to hang onto heavy dumbbells and try to increase the time you can hold onto them.

Here comes the fun!

As with many exercises, pull-ups come in many shapes and sizes.

Pull-up: You pull yourself up with palms facing away from you. There is a greater emphasis on the back.

Chin-up: You pull yourself up with palms facing you. There is a greater emphasis on the biceps.

Weighted Pull-ups: You execute pull-ups with weights; either with a weight vest, a dip belt with weights attached or a dumbbell between your thighs. Ensure that you are able to do at least 10 bodyweight pull-ups before attempting any weighted variations.

Towel pull-ups: Hang two towels over the bar and grab the portion of the towel hanging below the bar. Your body will have to travel a longer distance and this makes it more difficult than the standard pull-up. Due to the way you hold the towels, this version is more demanding on the forearms as well.

Know your Body

How would you describe your body? Words like lean, bone-thin, muscular, fit, fat, flabby, obese might come out.

Actually there are 3 main body types, namely ECTOMORPHS, MESOMORPHS and ENDOMORPHS. They are named after the 3 germ layers of embryonic development. The ectoderm forms the skin and nervous system, the mesoderm develops into muscle and blood vessels and endoderm is where the digestive tract originates from. It sounds profound, but let me break it down for you.

By knowing your body types, also known as somatotyping is a method of calibrating workouts and diet to your advantage. You can personalize your goals according to your body type.

Firstly, Ectomorphs.

They are tall with a narrow body, thin arms and legs, little body fat and wiry muscles. Due to their thin stature, they tend to excel in endurance type of activities such as long distance running, or activities requiring flexibility and agility. Their metabolic rates are high, even if they try to gorge themselves, they find it hard to gain weight.

Our recommendations: Keeping cardiovascular exercise to a minimum, ectomorphs should concentrate on gaining weight and size in the form of good lean muscle tissue through resistance training. To promote size and strength gains, use fairly heavy weights and longer rest periods in between sets to allow for the workout volume to be reached. Diet wise, lucky you! You can eat anything you want however sustain your calorie surplus from good whole food please, no junk! Some of you might find it difficult to eat more due to the bloated feeling, thus you might like to try taking mass gainers.

Next up, Mesomorphs

They have strong built, broad muscular chest and shoulders, very muscular arms and legs with little body fat. Their body respond well to training and will be able to gain or lose weight easily depending on their goals. These people tend to populate the sporting arena (bodybuilding, soccer, etc) as their easy-going muscle making body allow them to be very versatile.

Our recommendations: Being a natural athletic, dont slack! To maintain or improve your body, you will still have to work out and eat a balanced diet. Due to your body’s encouraging response, you might tend to overdo it, putting yourself in the risk of injuries. So watch out for that! Be consistent, keep a record of your progress. For maintaining of your current physique, stick to having healthy whole foods in your diet and keep to your daily calorie limit.

Last but not least, Endomorphs

Stocky with large round body, short thick neck, short arms and legs and with a tendency to store body fats. These type of body type is good for power sports such as rugby.

Our recommendations: Lower your calorie intake, instead have frequent but small meals. Combine resistance training with cardiovascular exercise to achieve a better muscle to fat ratio and increase metabolism rate. A healthy balanced diet is definately important!

A simple estimate if you can’t figure out which body type you are…

Take your middle finger and thumb of your right hand, and wrap it around the wrist of your left hand.

If they overlap without any effort, your frame width indicates you are an ectomorph. If they just touch, you are mesomorphic and if they can’t touch, you are probably an endomorph.

Good luck with your training!

By Amelia (http://www.fitnesssutra.com)

10 Healthy Habit's to Adopt while You' re Still Young

Get Active 

In order to reap the desired health benefits, adopting a healthy diet must always be matched with a healthy lifestyle. Get into the habit of exercising regularly while you’re young, so that it’ll be easier to keep up that metabolism as you grow older. Exercise, no matter how young or old you are, helps get your body in shape while keeping your mind alert and active. Learn to love a sport and take that interest with you as you age.

Maintain A Healthy Weight 

As mentioned, physical activity plays a big role in putting us in the pink of health. With this said, however, we must not forget about what we’re feeding our stomachs. If you’re brought up on junk food as a kid, chance are you’ll grow up loving junk food as an adult too. Processed foods and fast foods are loaded with sugar, fat and refined carbohydrates, which can potentially contribute to weight gain and other critical health problems in the future. You can maintain a healthy weight by incorporating the right portions of carbohydrate, protein and fat into your meals, eating a nutritional breakfast every morning, controlling your sugar and fat intake, having your daily fruits and vegetables, and of course, getting your weekly exercise fix.

Keep Away From Smoke 

It’s been drilled into your head one too many times, but all that drilling is crucial in having you understand the deadly effects smoking can have on your health. I hate to be a nag, but here it goes: Smoking puts you at a high risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis; and causes bad breath and stained teeth. Don’t buy into the idea that you can smoke while you’re young and easily give it up when you’re older – it doesn’t work that way. Smoking is highly addictive and it only gets worse as you grow older.

Drink Lots of Water 

Needless to say, water is extremely important for the healthy functioning of our body. When we’re thirsty, we instinctively grab a drink. But water isn’t just to quench our thirst; staying hydrated ensures proper kidney functioning, keeps our skin healthy, energizes tired muscles, and speeds up our metabolism. Carry a bottle of water with you when you’re out and makes sure you’re getting enough H2O throughout the day, everyday.

Get Sufficient Sleep 

This one shouldn’t be all that difficult. I mean, who doesn’t love sleep? With this said, however, many of us are in fact severely sleep deprived. Whatever the cause of deprivation is, the lack of sleep affects more than just your level of energy and alertness. Studies suggest that that insufficient sleep can result in cognitive and emotional problems, poor performance at school or at work, and an increase in appetite, which can then lead to obesity.

Take Care of Your Teeth 

Our teeth go through intense biting, chewing, munching, and crunching everyday. From the day we had our first meal of solid foods, our teeth have been faithfully breaking down the stuff we put in our mouths. To continue enjoying food, we need to take proper care of our teeth. This means brushing them when we wake up and right before we go to bed, flossing, avoiding the consumption of highly acidic food and drinks, not smoking, and staying away from too much caffeine.

Build and Develop Strong Relationships 

Many studies have demonstrated the tremendous effects having a good network of supportive relationships can have on one’s overall psychological well-being. Building healthy relationships with family and friends while you’re young can benefit you by providing a strong sense of belonging and security, as well as an increased sense of self-worth.

Take A Chill Pill 

Excessive worrying and stressing takes the joy out of your life and can eventually take a toll on your health. When you’re stressed over long periods of time, your body reacts with symptoms such as these: breakouts, depression, insomnia, asthma, heart problems, and poor digestion. Learning to handle stress and relax from a young age will help you deal with bigger situations when you grow older. Get into the habit of chilling out, be it reading, strolling in the park, yoga, or even simple breathing.

Love Your Body 

As you grow older, you will inevitably find yourself surrounded by distorted ideals of what the ‘perfect’ body should look like. The media’s portrayal of perfection has long been a primary cause of low self-esteem and negative body image in both men and women, but especially so in young, impressionable teenage girls. These unrealistic standards of beauty make it all the more necessary for every one of us to learn to love our body and embrace ourselves as we are on the inside.

Learn to Say ‘No’ 

An essential survival skill in life is the ability to say a firm ‘no’. You can’t always avoid peer pressure, toxic friends and demanding bosses, but you can learn to reject what isn’t right for you. Setting healthy boundaries and standing up for yourself – without feeling guilt and shame – is critical in protecting your emotional health and establishing a grounded self-esteem.

Written By Vanessa

Benefits From Hitting a Punching Bag or Sand Bag

 Here are 5 reasons why the heavy bag should be incorporated into your regimen.

1. Cardio

A good solid heavy bag workout is a great way to  get your blood pumping and your lungs burning.  The high intensity of the exercise is great for increased anaerobic endurance and metabolism.  Pushing yourself to sustain longer periods of footwork and punch combos with fewer breaks will increase your overall cardiovascular endurance as well.  Also, the longer you can go, the more calories you will burn.

2. Strength

The punching motions used while hitting the bag, utilizes muscles that aren’t normally worked in an average weight training session.  Once you start to incorporate a bag workout into your routine, you will begin to see increased power and strength in your shoulders, back, arms, etc.  The intense movements of the punches tax your muscles more than the slow, gradual movements performed during resistance training.

The heavy bag will also strengthen the muscles of the core.  Punching and Kicking require rotation of the trunk muscles such as the abs and obliques, and so does the defensive techniques like bobbing and weaving.  After a good hard bag workout, you should feel the burn in your midsection – which will eventually lead to fat loss and toned abs.

3. Confidence

Not only will you feel better about yourself once you start to lose weight, you will also gain confidence in yourself from hitting the bag.  Since the punching and kicking motions are directly related to fighting, you will have increased confidence in your ability to defend yourself.

4. Coordination

Since footwork is an essential component of the heavy bag workout, over time your coordination skills will improve.  Not only will your feet become more coordinated, your hand-eye coordination will improve tremendously as you continue to punch the bag.

5. Reduce Stress

Probably one of the best results you’ll receive from the heavy bag workout is the stress relief.  I’m sure you could imagine how punching and kicking an object would do just that.  Take out your anger! Just imagine that the bag is someone or something you really want to punch – be creative .  When you look at it this way, the bag becomes a very inexpensive therapist.  It is also way cheaper than paying the fines and legal fees you would receive if you actually punched the person.

7 Simple MMA Drills to Improve Your Speed and Endurance

Mixed martial arts fighters are among the toughest athletes out there — the sport works every muscle, and then some. To be successful, you need a lot of toughness, brute strength, and the techniques to outfight your opponent. But you also need exceptional speed- fights are won or lost in an instant — and the endurance to keep it up for an entire match.

So here are seven simple drills that don’t require any fancy equipment, just a partner, some weights, a jump rope and a flight of stairs. They may seem easy, but don’t be fooled, each requires serious effort and dedication. But if you put in the time, you’ll soon be the fastest fighter in the ring, ready to roll through the final bell.

1. Sprinting Stairs

Running stairs is terrific for conditioning — why do you think that scene from Rocky is so famous? But because MMA is so physically demanding, you won’t be running up stairs — you’ll be sprinting up them.

Time yourself, so you can keep track of your improvement. When you’re feeling confident, try wearing a weight vest, or carrying hand held weights- there’s no better way to work on being quick and explosive.

2. Body Surfing
Have your partner lie on his back with his feet planted on the ground. Lie on top of him so your chests are together, and keep your arms behind your back.  Use your legs to turn in a circle, and your chest to keep your partner on the ground. If you don’t have a partner to practice with, you can work with a medicine ball.

The best part is that you’ll develop the muscles to keep your opponent pinned, and have your arms free to do some damage.

3. Cross on the Ground

This one is deceptively simple, but if you work hard at it, you’ll see the benefits in terms of speed and agility. Mark a cross on the ground and jump back and forth over the lines. Switch up the pattern-move back and forth, side to side, and diagonally.

4. Shadow Boxing

This one may seem silly, but it’s effective. Go through you kicks, punches and grabs at full speed, preferably in front of a mirror so you can keep an eye on your form. Try it in three or five minute sets, to mimic the rounds of a real fight.

5. Skipping Rope
You may associate jumping rope with little girls, but it’s also one of the best ways the pros get in shape. It can take some getting used to, so if you’re new to the rope, start slowly and with your feet together. Jump only as high as necessary to clear the rope.

As you progress, mix things up- jump on one foot, move forwards and backwards and side to side, and even do some spins. You’ll soon see the results in faster footwork, key to outmaneuvering your opponent.

6. Red Line Drill

This four part drill will work on both your form and your speed for any move. Start by doing ten reps of a kick, for example. Do them slowly, focusing on perfecting your form every time. Rest, then do another set, this time faster, but still with an eye towards perfect form. For the third set,kick as fast as you can in good form. Finally, do another ten, going even faster, but disregarding form.

7. Open Guard Circles
In a tough fight, you’ll spend a lot of time on the ground grappling with your opponent. To best him, you’ll need the strength in your hips and legs and the endurance to keep it up through the last round.

For open guard circles, lie on your back and move your legs in cirlces, then alternate, pumping them out and in. Strap on some ankle weights to take things up a notch.

The 10 Fitness Commandments!

Thou shall…

1. NEVER let yourself get starved. “Starved” takes away all fitness- sense.

2. Set your workout days at the beginning of the week and schedule everything else around them, not the other way around.

3. Prepare your food in advance. Don’t wait until you’re hungry or there’s a good chance you’ll grab what you shouldn’t grab.

4. Know what you’ll snack on and keep food with you always. Keep it in your purse, at your desk, and in your car. See commandment #1.

5. Stay off the scale (as much as possible). It can be a motivation buster. As you gain muscle and lose layer, your weight may stay the same or even go up. Don’t let numbers stop your momentum. They don’t tell the whole truth.

6. Eat a nutritious breakfast. It’s true what they say – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets the metabolism moving, and gets the brain and body rolling for the day. When you skip breakfast, you usually make up the calories later in the day anyway.

7. Have a treat meal. The key word is “meal”. Don’t have a treat day or worse a treat weekend. One over-done meal can set you back days which means you never move forward.

8. Find supportive friends. That means one or two. Don’t tell Aunt Mary who loves to cook and makes you eat. You need close friends to cheer you on, not the jealous friends who thinks all your working out is “weird”.

9. Drive past the drive-through. No more fast food. Not only is it just bad for you, it’s high in fat, salt, calories and chemicals, and can actually alter your mood and trigger other not-so-good cravings. It’s a goal-buster.

10. Your fitness is an everyday-thing, not just a weekday-thing. BUT, you should absolutely take rest days and absolutely have some food-joy, but plan it into your week, don’t cram it all into one weekend.

Fit Food or Fat Food?

Fit Food or Fat Food?

Popcorn vs. Potato Chips

Popcorn is a perfect healthy snack. Low-fat popcorn is crunchy, delicious, and a source of whole grain fiber. Plus, you can enjoy a large, filling portion! Look for popcorn made with "94% Fat Free Butter" or air-popped popcorn.

Potato chips are high in fat and it's hard to eat just a few -- all that you get in a 1-ounce serving. If you love chips, go for the baked ones and watch your portion size.

One bowl for your Fiber needs

For a nourishing start to your day, choose a whole-grain bran cereal packed with fiber, such as bran flakes. Add fruit and low-fat milk for the most nutritious beginning.

Granola may be natural but it's often high in fat. Use granola sparingly or as a topper on low-fat yogurt. 

Shave the Fat, not the Flavor

Choose sorbets, sherbets, light ice creams, or frozen yogurts for a fraction of the fat and calories. Thanks to a new special churning technology, these frozen treats taste like rich and creamy premium ice cream. A ½ cup dessert can fit into everyone's diet.

Skip High-Fat Pizza toppings

Enjoy thin-crust frozen pizza Margarita style, or with grilled chicken or veggies. By passing on the sausage, pepperoni, and extra cheese, you'll slash the fat, sodium, and calories in this favorite food. Limit your portion to two slices (of a 12-inch pizza) and add a filling side salad to complete the meal.

Go for Real Juice

100% fruit juices are naturally rich in vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. In fact, they're the next best thing to eating whole fruit. "Fruit juice drinks," however, are usually packed with sugar and empty calories.

Snack on Healthy Hummus

Hummus is a gratifying combination of nutrition when paired with fresh veggies like baby carrots or baked pita chips.  Made from chick peas, hummus is a good source of iron, vitamin C, protein, and fiber. So enjoy the pleasing taste of hummus and skip the cheese dip that can lead to diet sabotage.

Frozen meals can be healthy, too!

Look for frozen meals that feature lean protein, plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and a low-fat or simple sauce. Avoid fried frozen food, or creamy casseroles. Frozen meals that are baked, grilled, steamed, or sautéed are healthier and lower in calories.

Spaghetti – A healthy favorite

Try the new whole-wheat pasta blends. Even the kids will like it if you top the spaghetti with your favorite tomato sauce. Voila! You’ve turned a childhood favorite into a high-fiber and nutrient-rich dish.  Macaroni and cheese may be an old-standby, but it’s low in fiber and loaded with fat and calories.

Fat-Free frozen Shrimp & Prawns

Shrimp are a tastier and healthier alternative to breaded fish sticks. You can buy them already cooked and shelled. Eat them cold with cocktail sauce; grill them, or sauté with veggies in a stir-fry.

Reference: http://www.webmd.com

Staying Motivated to Work Out

We all want to be fit, healthy and strong. But while anyone can get amped up about making changes and living a healthier life, that initial excitement and motivation can wane and put you back at square one.

Here are tried and trusted methods to keep that drive going.

1) Make Exercise Fun

Whether you go hiking with your best friend, take a spin class, or play catch with your dog in the park, you’re engaging in calorie-burning activities that are exciting and get you in the mood to keep moving. Find things that you’re psyched about and you’re much more likely to stick with them. 

2) Do It for Yourself

You’re putting in the work and reaping the benefits — those are the things that matter. If your reasoning to go to the gym is to please a guy or to get a flat belly quickly, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Michelle Segar, PH.D, a motivation researcher at the University of Michigan says, “For most people, trying to meet someone else’s expectations or assuage guilt isn’t sustainable.” So focus on what exercise does for you instead, and use those reasons as your motivation.

3) Plan to Make It Happen

If intention was the only thing that mattered, we’d all be Olympic athletes or models, but in order to push beyond your good intentions you have to plan it out. This doesn’t have to be an intricate strategy. Just ask yourself questions about your plans: How much will you work out this week? Where will you go? Who will you go with? Consciously thinking about these things puts you in a mindset to make them happen. Plan it out on paper and reap even bigger rewards.

4) Use the Buddy System

We’re social creatures. We energize and encourage each other when going after similar goals. When you work out with someone else it also brings out your competitive side, which helps you go farther and do more with your fitness goals. This notion is also backed by a Michigan State University Study, which showed that those who worked out with a partner stuck it out 24 percent longer than those who went at it alone.

5) Talk Your Way Through It

A study published in the Perspectives on Psychological Science journal found that when people pumped themselves up with instructional self-talk phrases like “Let’s go!” their performance actually improved. Be careful, however, to stay away from judgmental phrases like “Too slow!” or forceful ones such as “Win!” which were shown in the study to be less effective.

Reference: www.knoworthy.com