It's pretty hard to do your job well if you are at home sick in bed. Doing your best to stay healthy is an important part of producing good quality work and conducting it safely. Making time for wellness won't necessarily add more years to your life, but it could add more life to your years. Taking good care of yourself can help you avoid or at least delay chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and others. Good health practices can also boost your energy so you get more enjoyment out of life.
Consider these ideas for improving your health:
- Eat regular, nutritious meals. Start your day with a good breakfast such as fruit and whole-grain cereal or toast. A breakfast of a sweet roll and coffee might perk you up at first, but you'll be dragging later in the morning when your blood sugar drops. The traditional hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and fried hashbrowns can contribute to illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.
- Eat a variety of healthy foods. Throughout the day, eat a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, bean dishes and whole grains such as rice and pasta. Every day have some citrus fruit or another food high in vitamin C. Get a variety of vitamins in your diet by choosing fruits and vegetables of different types and colors. Be sure to include some dark yellow and dark green vegetables for important nutrients. High-fiber vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are highly recommended.
- Hydrate. Drink plenty of water, especially in hot weather or dry environments. Other beverages such as coffee and soft drinks are not a substitute.
- Exercise regularly. You need three kinds of exercise. You need some type of activity which will raise your heart rate for at least 20 minutes, several times a week. A brisk walk or bike ride would accomplish this. Swimming, dancing, hiking and aerobics are also activities to improve the capacity of your heart and lungs.
- Strengthen your muscles. You need to keep your muscles strong. Aerobic routines, certain sports and weight training can all contribute to muscle strength.
- Increase your flexibility. You also need exercise which keeps your muscles and ligaments flexible. Yoga routines and stretching exercises before and after a workout are examples.
- Get enough sleep. Studies have shown North Americans are chronically deprived of sleep and the result is decreased productivity as well as increased illness and accidents. You need enough sleep to do your job well. Adequate sleep is needed to keep your body's immune system in good working order.
- Learn to handle stress. Everyone has things which go wrong in their lives; how we accept and handle these problems can sometimes make the difference between illness and health.
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Safety Tip - Stay healthy to do your job safety and well
