What a Healthy Daily Routine Looks Like

Here are some tips I thought I would share today about what a healthy daily routine looks like. I talk about what to eat as soon as you wake up, what snacks to pack with you to work, and what exercises to do once you get to your cubicle. Here are the steps for a healthy daily routine:

1. Eat oatmeal for breakfast: Oatmeal has so many health benefits. It decreases your bad cholesterol levels, helps you maintain and/or lower your weight, and keeps you full until lunchtime. I recommend getting the original flavor of Quaker oatmeal due to its low sugar levels. Original flavored oatmeal is the healthiest for you, and you can buy the Quaker brand from Vons, Ralph’s, Costco, and Safeway.

2. Drink green tea instead of coffee: I know that a lot of young professionals drink lots of coffee due to sleep deprivation and a lack of motivation, but trust me when I say that a cup of green tea in the morning is a great substitute for that coffee! According to Harvard Medical School Health Publications, green tea can reduce your risk of heart disease and even prevent cancer due to its high antioxidant concentration.

Start your morning off healthy with green tea because it has more nutrients and more health benefits than coffee. Additionally, feel free to pair your cup of green tea with an apple, as apples are effective at boosting energy levels as well due to their fructose content.

3. Pack healthy snacks with you to work: After you’ve eaten your breakfast, make sure to pack snacks to work. The main snacks I mention are almonds, string cheese, hummus and pretzels, and vegetables (carrots and baby bell peppers). To learn more about these snacks, refer to one of my previous blog posts entitled “Should You Eat the Candy or the Fruit?”

4. Do desk exercises when you get to your cubicle: Now that you’ve packed your snacks, you are ready to go to work. Make sure you know a couple of good exercises to do at your desk. I talk about two of my favorites. The first one is wooden leg, which will work your core and your legs. The next exercise is called Aladdin, which will work your whole body. This is a tough one, but make sure you do it!

Overall, if you do these four steps, you will create a healthy daily routine for yourself.  It can be challenging when you first begin, as you do need to prioritize this healthy lifestyle, such as waking up earlier to pack your snacks and putting in that extra effort to do desk exercises. Although it is a change, I promise it is worth it! You will gain energy, feel better, and perform better.

Hope these tips help you perfect your healthy daily routine!

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Desk Stretches: Preventing Injury

Source: Physical Therapists from Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

Here is a great video on effective stretches to do at your desk. This video demonstrates head, neck, back, and wrist stretches. These stretches are very simple, targeting the parts of your body that are most prone to injury and discomfort during work. For example, these physical therapists show you how to do easy and effective wrist stretches to decrease your chances of getting carpal tunnel from typing all day.

I recommend doing these stretches 3 times a day, once in the morning before you begin your work, once after lunch, and once at the end of your workday. Doing these stretches will allow you to prevent injury as well as help alleviate the pain from existing or recurring injuries.

Hope this video teaches you some beneficial stretches!