The benefits of a healthy lifestyle - Article by Cameron Davies

25/01/19

I think for some reason people assume that a healthy lifestyle is eating 5 apples a day and going to the gym morning and night. Since changing job culture, I can see how important maintaining a healthy lifestyle is. As a previous PE teacher, I was on my feet all day and constantly active, however now I am based in an office, I can already see the difference!

This change got me to thinking, as I realized that I would have to make a more conscious effort to stay in shape!

I found that there were four main aspects to this. Sleeping well, eating well, moving well and drinking well. All being equally important.

Moving well

I think it is absolutely essential that everyone is regularly exercising and taking part in physical activity. The recommended amount is always increasing and currently sits at one hour exercise every day, do you exercise for an hour every day? I personally think people hear the words ‘physical activity’ and they assume you have to sweating, barging into big rugby players or rolling around on the floor claiming for a penalty. Exercise can be as easy as going for a walk.

Walking is actually one of the most effective forms of exercise. Due to the fact you burn calories and still store the nutrients inside of your body. The two nights a week I coach at Derby County Ladies, I count this as I’m on my feet, being outdoors and constantly active during these sessions… it can be that easy!

I am incredibly proud to coach the under 14’s ladies for Derby County. To be able to influence and support a growing area of football and work with such talented players inspires me to keep my exercise levels up. Office life may lead you astray at times but this hobby keeps me on the straight and narrow (although difficult at times).

Exercise also has plenty of benefits, including the release of endorphins (endorphins are the trigger of positive feeling in the body) and also social interaction. I think working in an office, it becomes quite easy to become too satisfied with the people in the office and the computer screen. However, I personally believe the social element to exercise is the driving factor for me. The football team I play for…aren’t the best, but I enjoy every minute of playing and I always finish feeling better about myself. This feeling can be replicated from different activities, such as going to the gym. I think it’s a really good one, as it’s great for social interaction and let’s be honest, everyone has a local gym…NO excuses!

Eating well

Since moving to working in an office environment, I think it’s safe to say eating well is definitely something I need to improve on. The key to eating well is having a variety in your diet, I think it becomes quite easy to have the same meal and then find yourself in a never ending food circle. When talking about eating well, people assume it’s all about eating 5 pieces of fruit a day, it’s so much more than that.

I believe it is key that your main meals are based on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice or pasta. This is because starchy foods are a good source of energy and provide a range of nutrients to contribute to our diet. Some people think starchy foods are fattening but gram for gram they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Dairy is also very important in maintaining a balanced diet, due to the fact that it can be a very good source of calcium which is excellent in maintaining and improving the strength of your bones. It is also important to have a good source of protein in our diet. Your body uses energy from protein to build and repair muscle tissues which is why it is an important building block for bones, muscles, cartilage and skin.

Sleeping well

Everyone is always so surprised to see that sleeping well is crucial when talking about a healthy lifestyle, but it is SO important. The recommended amount of time that an average adult must sleep is 7-9 hours, yes that’s every single night and 7 is the bare minimum. Now I can put my hand up and admit that I don’t get that every night, but making sure to try is key.

Did you know that every hour you sleep before midnight is actually doubled? People often use midnight as a benchmark for sleeping but I always aim to be in bed before then. It is also key to avoid screens before bed. How many of you watch TV or are playing away on your tablet to then attempt to fall asleep and fail? Even if you do fall asleep straight away, the transmissions from the screen actually keep your brain awake for an extra hour.

Now what happens when we don’t get enough sleep? We have all been there…you feel grumpy, easily triggered and just not yourself. You then question, am I an effective employee when I’m sitting at my screen thinking about having a quick nap and hoping the boss doesn’t catch on? No!!

Get into bed earlier and read a book or even exercise before you sleep, these are all things that will help you get a more fulfilling sleep!

Drink well

Finally, we have to drink well. Making sure to drink enough in the day always get looked over. People think eating and exercise is more important, well drinking well is equally important! Did you know that you are recommended to drink a sip of water every 15 minutes? Would you say that this is something you are actually doing? The recommended daily intake is always going up and some people even recommend that 3.7 litres of water should be drunk each day? I personally think that this figure is achievable.

Do you think we can make more of an effort to have water coolants in every office? To ensure they are regularly topped up, so it’s available when we need a glass? The answer is YES! Being dehydrated causes the brain to swell and therefore can give you an awful headache. Which I can tell you from experience, looking at a screen all day with a banging headache is not enjoyable.

I refer back to when I was a PE teacher, I used to call water ‘brain juice’ and I still do now! Water actually gives the brain more energy, refuels your electrolytes and also flushes out toxins in the body. Water also improves the immune system and even improves complexion!

I have to admit that I am really enjoying my new role, and as long as I follow my own advice I am sure that I can maintain the healthy lifestyle that I have always enjoyed!