Are you doing your office work outs??
Are You Doing Your Office Workouts?
OK, I know you’ve been mad at yourself. You do Pilates (whatever the heck that means). You do Jenny Craig. You have a Thigh Master, Ab Master, Butt Master, and Blaster Master. Heck, you’ve had it all, done it all, refused to eat it all, and tried it all. However, for some odd reason, you still ache. You still feel out of breath. You still haven’t lost weight. You still don’t like what you see in the mirror. There are hundreds of gurus who can motivate you, pump you up, and inspire you to get into that dress or go down one belt size. I won’t even begin to compete with them. What I’m trying to do is help you improve your industrial health.
The vast majority of us work in sedentary jobs (jobs where we sit six hours out of an eight hour day) or even a light job (jobs where you’re walking or standing six out of eight hours a day). However, we spend so much time on our jobs that we often forget about our health. So I’m going to give you a few tips that might help you out:
1) Fifteen minutes can make you feel fitter
I know you don’t believe it, but try to get to work about 15 minutes earlier and use it to do a little walking. Nothing major. Just walk. You are going to be there for eight hours anyway, so an extra 15 minutes won’t kill you. Bring your ipod. Listen to some music. Relax and breathe and start your day with the blood pumping through your veins.
2) Get up from that desk
Let’s be real. You could probably sit at your desk for four hours straight and not realize it. And you wonder why your back is killing you. Listen. Set your computer to give you an alarm every 50 to 55 minutes. After that, force yourself to stand up and stretch. I don’t mean stretch like you’re getting out of bed. I mean, actually stretch. Stretch your legs. Stretch your back. Stretch your arms. Trust me. These stretching exercises help.
3) Break your routine. SHOCK your body.
Stop for a moment and look at what you do every day. Your body gets accustomed to doing the same things. So guess what? If you sit every day, that’s what your body is used to doing. Find ways to do the things you used to do differently. If you take the elevator from one floor to the other, use the stairs. If there is a longer path to a place you normally go, take that one from time to time. Force your body to do things it’s not used to doing and you will force your mind to become sharper.
4) Change your diet for the day
I am so sorry to have to tell you this but try to eat something different. I am a loyal follower of the Golden Arches but it’s amazing how your body will respond to a salad or a light sandwich. Try something different and commit to it. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to McDonalds’s but try not to go every day.
5) Make it a part of your schedule
Look at your work schedule. You already know what you have to do and what you need to get done. Why don’t you integrate your health into your schedule? Think about it. You will make damn sure that you go downstairs to puff on that cigarette. I’ve seen people who go outside for a smoke when it’s raining outside and the temperature is 22 degrees Farenheit. So why can’t you dedicate yourself to making your health a part of your schedule?
6) It is about your way of life, not your weight!
Remember, it’s not about your weight. Yes, I know you would look cute in that size 6 again. Yes, we know you had washboard abs back in the day. But it’s not about your weight. It’s about your way of life. Look at your family history. Any heart disease? Any obesity? Any high blood pressure? Don’t waste your life away on the working grind. Change your way of life.
Now, if you have a few dollars to invest in a work out machine or a personal trainer, go for it. However, these few little steps can go a long way to making your life a little better.
Get Ready Because HERE It Comes: The THREE STRIKES Against Social Security Programs
Let’s get right to it. The Social Security programs are in trouble and here are the three reasons why:
1) Baby Boomers are no longer babies,
2) The workforce is shrinking, and
3) Health care costs are rising.
There! Now you know the deal. I know this isn’t a secret and you probably are freaking out like the rest of us, but these are the reasons. The real question now is: Can we do anything about it? We already know that the government is looking into addressing the problems but maybe we, as- hopefully- future Social Security recipients, can offer a solution or alternatives to the problems. We first, however, must accept some of these situations as reality :
Baby Boomers were bound to no longer be babies.
1) Our society has REALLY taken advantage of the increase in population that came from the baby boomer generation. However, it was only a matter of time before they would grow to retirement age and start pulling from the system. There is nothing you can do about it unless you have a time machine or a fountain of youth.
2) Corporate America can help increase the work force with a little help from the government
More and more companies are starting to relocate their companies back here to the US. How about offering more financial incentives for companies to bring their companies back? I know the government may be doing some things but I suspect they can do more. Right now, it’s about preserving and keeping our workers paying into the Social Security system. They can’t do it if there are no jobs here in the USA.
3) You may not want to hear it, but we need universal health care to protect everyone in the future
The healthcare system is a corporate, money-making GOLIATH! When it walks into the room, people move out of the way. However, like any large, foreboding brute, when it walks in, it also destroys a lot of things along the way (whether intentionally or unintentionally). The healthcare model for the US is one that people don’t want to mess with but we have to find some way to deal with it. We can no longer have the “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” attitude or we will find ourselves with a significant population of uninsured people draining the financial resources of healthcare institutions.
It’s getting wild out there and in the next decade it’s going to get worse. Get ready and start giving your feedback to your representatives. We gotta fix this problem together and we gotta do it RIGHT NOW!
The Secret of the DUSTY Safety Manual
It’s amazing what inspectors, attorneys and consultants look for when they are called in to assess a workplace safety situation. One of my personal favorites is the “dusty safety manual. Now, I know you may be scratching your head and wondering why this document is special. Allow me the opportunity to elaborate.
Most of us have a book in our homes that we pull out as a reference. In fact, for many families, it’s the Bible. It’s usually well-worn because someone has been constantly flipping the pages. Those pages probably have marks, notes and highlighted pages. It looks like it’s actually been used.
Well, your safety manual at work should be just like that Bible. A safety manual is designed to serve as a living document that guides all employees about the appropriate safety protocols to follow in the workplace. It should be used and used often. The manual serves as the bible in your work place.
So what’s special about the “dDusty safety manual”? The dust is a clear indication that the manual hasn’t been used in a while. Do you know what that means? If someone- an investigator, for instance- is trying to determine the level of safety in company has, this dusty manual will tell them just how actively (or inactively) your employees are following the protocols.
Now, don’t get me wrong;Your employees could be so stellar that they know the safety protocols inside and out, so they don’t need to go to the manual. But, you should be smart. Your safety program should encourage employees to refer to the safety manual often. Don’t let that dust be to your downfall.
What happens AFTER you get approved for Social Security Disability benefits
I know I have spent a lot of time talking about what you need to do in order to prove you are disabled. This video will help give you some insight into what happens after you get approved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnnyBhxY5nE
Is your building making you sick?
For those of us who spend eight hours a day in one place every day for five days a week, the answer to this question is fairly simple: HELL YEAH!! Before you start throwing your hands in the air and proclaiming, “SOMEBODY can relate” and getting ready to get your ‘cuss on’, I have something to tell you. I didn’t ask if your building was getting on your nerves. I asked if it was making you sick.
In so many instances, we find ourselves working in environments t on such a regular basis that we don’t even pay attention to the physical effects until it’s too late. The simple fact is that there are many things that go into making sure that your work environment is suitable for you to work. However, if you find yourself wondering if your building is making you sick, here are a couple of things to consider:
1) How do you feel when you’re at home compared to when you are at work?
- Pay attention to how you feel when you come home from work. If you find yourself feeling sick at work but you get better after you’ve been home for a while, you may be exposed to something at work that making you sick.
2) Are there certain areas of the building where you don’t feel right?
- Sometimes, there is a specific area where there may be clear indications that something is wrong.
3) How are your eyes? How about your breathing? Anything setting off your allergies (Even though you don’t have any)?
- Sometimes, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that is making you feel sick but you can definitely tell that something is wrong. Are your eyes watering? Are you having a hard time breathing? Are you sneezing like crazy? Pay attention because these could be warning signs that something is wrong.
4) Has anything changed in your building?
- Yes, we get excited when we get a new roof, new wall, or new system put in place. However, the simple fact is that there are times when putting in these new things may create new health problems. Pay attention if you notice a difference.
The phenomenon that I am referring to is called “Sick Building Syndrome” and it usually occurs when some type of exposure to a particular substance in the building results in you getting sick. If you notice something is wrong, don’t be shy and don’t wait for it to get worse. Let your employer know right away.