Exercising and staying fit are among the most common New Year’s resolutions. Yet 80 percent of those resolutions tank by the second week of February. And for manufacturing and logistics employees, sticking to a such a resolution may be even harder. After a long shift on your feet, who wants to hit the gym? But don’t sweat it, because Randstad can spot you. Below are five on-the-job health and workout tips to help you get in shape and avoid injury in the new year. If you’ve been cleared by your doctor to get moving, you’ll love how easy these are to fit into your workday.
start by stretching.
Assemblers know that to put a product together the right way, you have to follow the right order. Likewise, stretching is the first step in the sequence that translates to better health and wellness. And whether you’re primarily sitting or standing on the job, you can easily incorporate simple stretching exercises into the flow of your day. Try these:
- To stretch your neck, slowly and gently tilt your head toward your shoulder, and hold it for ten seconds on each side. Try to use slow, controlled movements, and listen to your body. Avoid anything painful!
- To improve circulation, gently roll your wrists, ankles and shoulders every hour or so. This technique sounds simple, but it can really ease the tension in your joints and muscles.
take the stairs.
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is an easy way to burn off extra calories in the course of your workday. If you want to take it to the next level, any old stairwell can actually be used to stage a great workout. In fact, ten minutes of training on the stairs each day can be the equivalent of running or cycling for hours. So go ahead and trek up those stairs — but do it safely and carefully. It’s also a good idea to alternate between fast and slow climbs in order to recharge your body.
leg lifts.
For manufacturing and logistics employees who sit most of the day, there’s no excuse not to be doing leg lifts — after all, you can do them at your desk and no one will know. So hop to it: While seated, extend one leg in front of you and hold it in the air as straight as possible for 20 seconds. Pause, and repeat with your other leg. As a bonus, try tracing little circles in the air with your foot when either leg is fully extended.
improve your posture.
Whether you’re sitting or standing, having good posture is critical to your health, especially in a demanding warehouse environment. Obviously, you already know how to sit and stand, but are you doing it the right way? Remember these details:
- If you’re primarily sitting at work, make sure you’re sitting up straight and tall. Force your hips as far back as they can go in the chair, and make sure that you sit erect with your shoulders back. Avoid hunching or bending at the desk.
- If you’re primarily standing at work, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your knees slightly bent and let your arms hang comfortably down the sides of your body. Always try to support your weight on the balls of your feet.
diet.
There’s no doubt about it — eating better will be the key to whether or not you keep that New Year’s resolution. But eating smart can be especially challenging if your only source of food on the job is a vending machine. Working overnight shifts can also contribute to irregular eating habits. To eat better, start with a small challenge and make half of your plate fruits and veggies — they can be fresh, canned or frozen — during lunch and dinner. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition site has great resources to help you, from healthy recipes to guides on what produce is in season at each point in the year. If you want easy recipes for healthy lunches, but you don't usually cook, check out our article on diet tips for warehouse workers.
With these five tips in mind you should be well on your way to keeping that New Year’s resolution. And if you want to meet professional as well as personal goals in 2018, why not sign up for Randstad's job alerts? Just tell us the kind of position you want, and we'll email you when we find it.