When your job requires you to spend long hours sitting at a desk, physical exercise and a balanced diet are both essential to keep you healthy. PA Life has some great ways to get everybody at work involved in keeping fit
We all know that keeping fit has multiple benefits for our general wellbeing. Working out has been clinically proven to reduce the risk of a wide variety of diseases that affect the heart and lungs. It also helps us maintain a healthy weight, which lowers our chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition to making us feel good about ourselves, exercise provides a wealth of paybacks for businesses and their employees.
Research conducted by Dr Len Kravitz, Associate Professor of Exercise Science at the University of New Mexico, reveals that people who participate in regular physical activity are more effective at dealing with stress, while a University of Bristol study shows that a person’s mood is improved after working out. This gives office employees the tools they need to handle whatever is thrown at them and makes them more productive.
With a reduced risk of major diseases comes a healthier immune system and a lowered risk of catching viruses. If a company’s staff is less likely to succumb to the common cold, it can save time and money on the number of sick days taken. It goes without saying that the benefits of encouraging employees to keep fit should easily outweigh the cost of promoting an office exercise programme.
Top tips for getting the office in shape
Utilise social connections to strengthen support for fitness goals
Research shows that people who share workouts with others are much more active than those exercising alone. Identify co-workers who are enthusiastic to participate and have them act as cheerleaders to boost morale.
Cater to different segments when designing the competitive elements of your company fitness plan
If you challenge a couch potato and a marathon runner to see who can do the most miles, neither of them is going to have much fun. Instead, create several different competitions to target groups of like-minded people. For example, you can have one event focused on walking a set number of miles and another for running. If you do this right, you can create a positive social atmosphere around exercise that promotes activity and furthers the goals of everyone.
Incubate and reward participation, not supremacy
It will come as no surprise to learn that incentives motivate people. Chat with colleagues to discover what can be offered as a prize, whether it’s a free lunch, a petrol card or a silly trophy. The reward should never be based on the farthest, fastest or ‘most’ of anything. Find a moderate participation mark that allows everyone to benefit.
Organise company fitness events
Once a month, during lunch or at day’s end, go for a walk or short run, or reserve a room where a local yoga or pilates trainer can come in and coach the team.
Allow time for your fitness social community to bloom
Just because nobody joins in the first days, weeks or months of a programme is no reason to abandon the effort. Keep working out and talking to your team about exercising. There is no cost for socialising and being friendly is a worthwhile trait in any office setting.
Mette Lykke is the CEO and co-founder of Endomondo, which provides a fitness-tracking mobile app that is now available for corporate customers in the UK. Find out more at endomondo.com/employeefitness
Spa To You
Travelling can take its toll on the body, so Spa To You at the London Hilton on Park Lane has put together an effective Anti-Jetlag Package, writes Molly Dyson.
When I arrive for my 90-minute session, my therapist takes me into a private room and starts with a light body brushing, which involves running a brush with soft bristles and some rubber nubs over my skin. The technique is designed to improve circulation, which may have been compromised by hours of sitting on a plane or train. Although it feels a bit strange at first, I find it invigorating and my skin feels smooth even days later.
Next is a deep tissue massage. Each side of my body is worked on separately, starting with my back, which is definitely in need of some attention. I’ve requested medium pressure, which proves to be perfectly relaxing while at the same time waking up my muscles from a day of being sedentary. The sweet-smelling oil from Aromatherapy Associates enhances my sense of calm and I find myself almost nodding off a few times. When I turn over, my therapist goes from head to toe, ensuring every inch of my body is looked after. The whole experience is designed to increase circulation while melting away the stress of travel.
The ritual finishes with a lighter massage using moisturising body cream, which helps rehydrate the skin – perfect if you’ve been on a plane for any length of time. My therapist also rubs a special serum into my legs that is designed to keep my body from reversing the effects of this heavenly treatment.
Each treatment room is equipped with its own shower where you can freshen up before heading back into the world refreshed and relaxed.
The 90-minute Anti-Jetlag Package costs £140; visit spatoyou.com for more details
RIBA bento box lunch
Brain food is what you need to keep you going in a meeting, which is why the venues team at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has introduced a bento-style box that provides a three-course lunch containing oily fish, low-fat meats, wholegrain products and fruit and vegetables to help keep delegates on their A game throughout the day, writes Colette Doyle.
When I sampled one of these attractive-looking boxes, I tucked in to falafel with spiced vegetables and grilled pitta, poached loch salmon fillet, accompanied by a side order of roasted sweet potato, red onion and rosemary salad, and finished off with buttermilk pannacotta with poached quince. The food is light yet filling and you can taste the freshness – no nasty additives here.
There is a plethora of other well-balanced options such as Gressingham duck gyoza and smoked salmon blinis for starters, Chimmi churri sirloin beef skewers and Cajun tiger prawn salad as main courses, while dessert choices range from milk chocolate mousse to a selection of British cheeses.
The bento box is way more appealing (and less intrusive when you’re trying to negotiate paperwork at the same time) than your average plate of sarnies and the food benefits from the addition of fresh home-grown herbs – the chefs cultivate a selection that includes rosemary, basil and thyme. This means the food is naturally seasoned, reducing the need for added salt.
Also available is a vegetarian option, a gourmet ‘Select to impress’ upgrade, or opt for the chef’s daily choice box.
Prices start at £14 per person if you allow the chef to choose for you, or from £15 per person for your own choice of a starter, main course, side dish and dessert. Find out more at ribavenues.com/
Lifehouse Spa & Hotel
If you’ve always wanted to do a detox programme, but felt you couldn’t afford to take the time off work, then the Lifehouse Spa offers the ideal solution, writes Colette Doyle. The Dextox Express is specially designed for busy breadwinners who can only get away from the office on Friday afternoon and need to be back at their desk bright and early on Monday morning.
The package includes pre-arrival advice on preparing to cleanse the body, wholesome meals, an array of healthy juices and smoothies, unlimited use of the spa and gym, plus two treatments. The food is much less austere than you might imagine – the roasted carrot soup that greets me on arrival tastes quite hearty for detox fare and the courgette faux pasta comes with a rich and tasty tomato sauce.
There’s also a nightcap that despite being made from creamy dark chocolate and coconut milk is surprisingly virtuous, while still managing to be incredibly moreish, and its soporific properties work like a dream (yes, pun intended).
At breakfast there’s plenty of fruit to choose from – red berries, watermelon and nectarines – although I must admit it’s hard not be distracted from my good intentions by the couple wolfing down a large ‘full English’ with all the trimmings a couple of tables away.
The smoothies are a revelation: I’ve never been that keen, imagining ghastly kale and wheatgerm concoctions that taste like cat litter, but the Banana Split with yoghurt, honey, porridge oats and raspberry is absolutely delicious and for once the phrase “a meal in a glass” isn’t just an idle boast.
The body wrap is an invigorating yet relaxing experience; my friendly therapist applies an exfoliating scrub and then wraps me up like Tutankhamun. Afterwards, my skin is silky-smooth to the touch and I feel energised. The acupuncture session offers some uncannily accurate diagnoses and is so calming I fall into a happy slumber.
Resident naturopath Sue Davis, who trained in Sydney for four years, is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of the detox process and will talk you through it to ensure you have a true understanding of how it all works.
Although three days is a relatively short period of time, I really feel that I’ve reaped the benefits of my stay. A persistent spot that I’ve been trying to get rid of for over a week has finally gone, my stomach has lost that bloated look and, more importantly, I feel less stressed than I have in ages. And, even better still, this soothing sanctuary is just 90 minutes away from the clamour of London.
Detox Express packages at Lifehouse Spa & Hotel start from £449. See lifehouse.co.uk for further details
Yoga Team
Yoga invites an almost spiritual sense of relaxation while being a workout that is intense enough to promote lean, healthy muscles, writes Molly Dyson. Yoga Team sends an instructor to your home or office for a private or small group lesson. When you sign up you receive a detailed profile for each of the comany’s trainers in your area so you can decide which one sounds the best suited to your level.
As a beginner, I choose Jaina and she’s the ideal match. She arrives at my house with an extra mat for me, along with a set of speakers and an iPod full of meditative tunes. Even her voice is soothing as she walks me through the benefits of yoga and explains how the session will go. She asks if there are any specific parts of my body I want to work on and I can see her mind working as I express my worries about my posture.
We start with some light stretching before she shows me some of the most basic yoga positions, which she has chosen to help strengthen my back and align my spine. As I ease into them, she makes a few minor adjustments to ensure I’m getting the most out of the experience. Everything is gentle, so I never feel that I’m at risk of overdoing it and hurting myself. When one move proves to be too much for my bad knee, Jaina changes tactics and seamlessly shows me an alternative.
With the help of some deep breathing and a few breaks to be still, I’m relaxed enough to be oblivious as to how hard my body is actually working. We end with a few minutes of reflective meditation and I only realise that I’m sweating at the end of the hour-long workout as Jaina compliments me on how well I’ve done.
If you’ve ever wanted to try yoga and haven’t had the courage to join a public class, Yoga Team is the ideal answer. The certified instructors can tailor all your lessons to your requests and have been chosen for their experience in the field.
Sessions start from £75 for groups of up to 15 people; further information is available at yoga-team.co.uk
