Healthy Workers are Happy Workers

Making healthy choices is something we all work at. Eating right, staying active… even getting enough sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s hard to fit it all in – especially if we want to spend any time on our [jewelry making] hobbies!

It’s easy to check our healthy habits at the office door every day: Sitting for hours at a time. Coworkers bringing in baked goods that are hard to resist. Hunching over a workbench or computer. Someone has a bottomless candy dish sitting on her desk. Skipping a lunchtime workout. It’s Girl Scout Cookie season!  

Here at Beaducation, we’re bringing healthy back! Our head honcho, Lisa Niven Kelly, has created a work environment that embraces movement throughout the day, healthy eating options, and fun. We all know that laughter is the best medicine, and a daily dose of fun certainly provides it! Here are some of the things we’re doing around the Beaducation office to stay happy and healthy:

Ergonomic Evaluations 

Lisa invited an ergonomics specialist to evaluate each person’s workspace to ensure proper fit and form. Modifications were suggested to ensure we aren’t setting ourselves up for nasty work-related injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and eye strain. Did you know that your chair height should be set so that your hips are at a 90-110* angle?    

TRX  Training Breaks

We're into TRX Training at the office (the founder is Lisa's brother-in-law)! Rather than just knocking out a few bicep curls during a meeting in Lisa's office, we've added a couple more TRX straps in our common area and are scheduling training breaks into our day. For instance, at 10:45, my calendar pops up with a reminder to go do my 60 seconds of TRX Oblique Leg Raises. At 12:45, I do 60 seconds of  TRX “Y” Shoulder Raises. Over the course of the day, I’ve done a full-body workout without breaking a sweat or losing time changing into/out of workout clothes. Cool!

Exercise Balls as Chairs

Many of us are using an exercise ball as our office chair. It provides many healthy benefits, including improved core strength and more movement throughout the day. It’s also fun!

Flexible Schedules
          Everyone here works on a different schedule. This is such a wonderful benefit, as it allows work    
          to fit in with our lives. Need to get a morning workout completed? Come in late and stay late!
          Want to hit a class at the gym over lunch? Great! Want to ride your bike home? Come in early
          and hit the road before dark!

Healthy Snacks

Our kitchen is stocked. It's relatively easy to make good decisions about food for breakfast and lunch, but sometimes you find yourself empty-handed when the afternoon lull hits. Rather than be tempted with cringe-worthy foods, we have better options to choose from: frozen smoothie ingredients (and a blender), fresh fruit (and a fancy juicer), coconut water instead of soda, and dark chocolate! Hey, it’s the healthy kind!

Dog-friendly Office

One of the most fun aspects of the Beaducation office is that there are four-legged friends running around. It’s a great excuse to get up from your desk to give Rocco a belly rub or get some fresh air during a puppy bio break.

Gym Membership

With a Crunch fitness center across the street and a company-paid membership, we have ample opportunities to get physical. Plus, group fitness classes like yoga and kickboxing are things we can do together. A partner is great motivation to stay fit!

What kind of tricks do you incorporate into your day to stay healthy?