The effects of working in an office, which is detrimental to your health, may cause you to take time off work. Millions of work days are lost each year across the UK as a result of this and the total cost to employers is equal to several billion pounds a year.

When people become stressed, many develop headaches and migraines and this will potentially lead to further poor health, time off work and the burden on the NHS system.

Healthy considerations

By searching the Internet you will quickly find a range of articles about the correct posture to be used when you are sitting at a desk. The use of a pneumatic chair will allow you to find a comfortable position to work at your desk or at a computer workstation.

Find the best placement of your monitor; this will probably be somewhere between 20 and 30 inches from your eyes. Your mouse is best placed in a comfortable position so that your hand and arm can relax and the keyboard should be placed so that your forearms have no need to bend more than 20% above the level line from your elbows.

In the ideal scenario, you should rest at least every 20 minutes and if you’re able to walk away from your desk for even just one minute you will be able to stretch your body. This helps reduce the pressure on your spine because when you sit you are placing three times the pressure on your spinal discs.

Considering your lighting

Where natural lighting that can be provided for your work area, you will feel healthier because your concentration can be four times better than if you work completely with artificial lighting.

Experts suggest that when you have plants in an office environment, most people’s blood pressure will be slightly lowered, which increases their productivity.

An office must be cleaned efficiently and effectively because dust levels can cause breathing problems in many employees. Where plants are placed in a work area the dust levels will automatically be reduced by around 20%.

Some people will go as far as suggesting that lavender oils will provide a relaxing effect for workers which will inevitably reduce errors made on the computer or their work.

Light and stimulating music can help reduce the boredom that some people feel, which will inevitably lead to fatigue in the workplace. By speaking with colouring experts, you will be to choose colours that reflect the mood required in the office space.

Some businesses choose an open plan office environment because it increases the levels of motivation because the chances of distrusting other people will be reduced because there are fewer places to hide. Conversely, a lack of privacy may affect, detrimentally, the working results of introverted people. A closed plan office provides a much higher level of personalisation and privacy for the office space, but it does cause a feeling of isolation in the working environment.

Employers and employees can regularly discuss a range of fitness regimes which may include a company gymnasium while also promoting healthy eating in the office. A combination of all of these factors will lead to a healthier office environment.

Damien Higgins believes a healthy office is a happy office. He writes for bottled water cooler supplier Eden Springs.

The post How To Make Your Office Good For Your Health appeared first on Happy Healthy Hub.

Where a working atmosphere becomes detrimental to the health of the workforce, business production will reduce and employers may find it more difficult to attract people to their company. Here are some ways that you can improve or maintain good health while you are at work.

Poor health stopped you from working

At any one time, the highest complaint from people working within office environments is the inability to concentrate on their work because they have too much back pain to be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities with 100% effort. Millions of days of working hours are lost because people suffer from back pain, where one of the major causes can be poor posture.

Your own company’s health and safety people will talk to you about getting your computer screen positioned correctly and that your chair height and seating posture are vitally important if you are to remain free of aches and pains due to where you sit. The keyboard and mouse positions are equally important as is the layout of all of your desktop equipment. Any failings in getting these elements correct and maintaining those positions, may be detrimental to your health.

Taking care of your water

Those back pains can also because by lifting and moving objects around your workplace that are too heavy for you, but you carry out the operation anyway. It is not always the weight of the item that is important, but the way you handle the object. Once you have learned a better way to move heavy objects, your body will not suffer with pain afterwards.

Some of the men and the stronger women may believe they can champion a cause by changing the water cooler or moving boxes of printer paper around their working location, but a trained person will carry out these handling techniques without any elements of worry.

Breathe in good air

Office environments can be extremely stressful and where the air and humidity are not good for your health, breaking point can be reached far too easily. Rules and regulations exist which govern the safety issues for both air and humidity in a working environment and these must be maintained if employees are to remain healthy and can return to work every single day of the week.

A further indication of good health can be helped considerably by people taking regular breaks so that they can stretch the muscles and not feel locked to a small environment which will cause the body to feel under pressure and perhaps not breathe freely during the course of the working hours.

A healthy business will be able to identify any of the hazards that may cause poor health to employers and employees. Once all of the risks have been evaluated, a business will be far healthier if a programme of continuous assessment is put in place within the business, because healthy employees will look forward to going to work instead of wondering when and how they can find a doctor’s appointment.

Don’t forget to do a regular assessment of the health of your office.

Chris Jenkinson writes for Ostara Systems who provide computer aided facilities management.

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Washing

Most of the time, when we think about skin care, it’s all about the face. After all, that’s what everyone sees. When it comes to looking after the skin on your face, you can’t beat plain old water as a first step to getting it clean. Watch out for soaps which can leave a film on your face and clog your pores. If you choose to use a facial wash, then make sure it is suitable for your skin type – you don’t want to make your skin too dry or too oily and disturb its natural balance. While there’s nothing wrong with exfoliating from time to time, don’t overdo it or you might irritate the skin. When you’ve finished washing your face, pat it dry, making sure to move always in an upward motion so you don’t stretch the skin.

Moisturising and After Care

Some people like to use a toner to give their skin a lift, but not all toners are alike. Those that contain too much alcohol will dry the skin and could have the opposite effect to the one you intend. As with facial wash, any moisturiser should match your skin type. One size doesn’t fit all, so look out for ranges with products for dry, oily or combination skin.

Sun Protection

One way to save time – and use one less product – is to use a facial moisturiser that includes sun protection. Everyone should wear sun protection, even if the weather is cloudy and even if they have dark skin. Though you won’t see the damage until years later, unprotected skin will be affected by UV rays, adding unwanted years at the time when you most want to retain your youthful allure.

The Body

Apart from the face, it’s a good idea to look after the rest of your body too. That usually means occasional treatments for the areas with roughest skin (elbows and feet) and using a good daily moisturiser the rest of the time. Skin needs moisture to look its best and you will know if your skin lacks moisture by the feel. If it is rough and dry, then it’s definitely time to moisturise!

Ageing Skin

All of these tips apply just as much as we get older, though the products we use may change. As we age, skin tends to get looser and drier and many products focus on making it firm and soft again. Look out for anti-ageing facial moisturisers, night repair creams with collagen, and deep moisturising body lotions to keep your skin looking its best.

This type of skin care regime doesn’t take long. Less than 10-15 minutes a day can keep your skin looking healthy and make you feel good because you look good. Try it and see for yourself.

These skin care tips are provided by Chris Jenkinson of Abingdon Qutis Clinics in the UK.

Photo credits: smartphotostock.com

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First, it’s important to know what the workplace risks are. If you are driving a vehicle or handling hazardous materials, there will be protocols available for carrying out these activities safely. Check out your company’s health and safety manual and pay attention to all warning signs and guidelines posted in areas of potential risk. As part of this, make sure that you have any protection you need to undertake your daily tasks. This could range from simple gloves, ear muffs or protective goggles to full suits to ensure that your whole body is insulated against risk. While it may seem onerous to have to suit up, it’s better than the alternative, and is designed to keep you safe.

If your job involves lifting heavy boxes or moving machinery, use mechanical assistance to save your back. Trolleys, fork lifts, cranes, conveyor belts and the like help you to move large items easily while reducing any risks. If you do have to lift items yourself, do it safely by bending your knees, keeping your back straight and avoiding unnatural twists and turns.

Of course, it’s not only heavy lifting that can injure your back; you can also be at risk even if you are sitting at a desk. Office workers need to take care of ergonomics. That means ensuring that your chair is at an adequate height so that you can look straight at your screen and keep your legs at right angles. It also means supporting feet and risks where needed and purchasing the right kinds of chairs and keyboards so that you avoid long term damage to your back or wrists.

Whether you’re doing a manual or desk bound job, one issue that’s important is taking the breaks to which you are entitled. Scheduled breaks are included in the health and safety manuals to ensure that you don’t become fatigued and have accidents when handling heavy machinery. For office workers, breaks mean that you can avoid undue strain on your wrists and back by sitting hunched over a computer for too long. Even if you have a job to complete, it’s a good idea to take those breaks when they are due.

Did you know that alcohol and drugs are implicated in a significant percentage of workplace accidents? If you’re using those substances then your judgement is impaired – that’s how accidents happen. Even if you’re not a regular drinker, it goes without saying that operating machinery the morning after the heavy night before is a very bad idea.

Finally, do what you can to minimise stresses in the workplace. Not only is stress a major cause of heart disease and stroke but if you’re stressed at work you may not make the best decisions, resulting in accidents. Keep conflicts at work to a minimum and use company processes to get issues resolved before they affect your health.

Chris Jenkinson writes for materials handling specialists, UK Forks.

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Maintaining electrical equipment does not necessarily mean that you need to carry out complicated electrical testing of each piece of apparatus as visual inspections by experienced personnel will be able to identify most of the potential risks.

Trailing cables are the worst offenders

In all office and warehouse locations, trailing electrical cables are potential dangers for many people slipping or tripping over the wires. While this is a health and safety issue, this also runs a large risk of leads and plugs being quickly pulled from their permanent position and perhaps stretching wires out of place and out of sight within the cables. If these problems are not dealt with efficiently, then employees and potential visitors may be subject to electric shocks or fires.

Moving appliances around a workspace

There’s a vast range of portable appliances that may be moved around office and factory workspaces. These may include televisions and projectors as well as computers and printers. Fax machines, photocopiers may also be included within this list as are kettles, fans, heaters and desk lamps. All of this equipment should be tested from time to time to check that it is in good working order.

The first stage of the testing is to carry out a visual inspection of all of these portable appliances. This means that the business needs to keep a detailed inventory of all of the portable equipment in the workplace.

To aid with the correct style of inspection, each appliance needs to be disconnected from the main electrical supply before the inspection is carried out so that the plugs can be checked for signs of any damage. This may include cracked casings and exposed wires which will require immediate modification to ensure that the appliance continues to work correctly. Where any cables are twisted or cut or you can see any bent pins or loose screws, these will also need urgent attention.

Where you find any wires or electrical equipment that people have tried to mend, with the best intentions at heart, you might find insulating or masking tape passed over or around a problem electrical area. This appliance should be removed from the supply immediately, so that it can be dealt with correctly and safety information shared with people working in that area who may have tried their own, albeit failing, electrical repairs.

Checking every plug

It can be time-consuming to open up every single plug, but it is essential that this action is carried out, first to check that fuses installed properly and second to see that the cord grip is in place to keep all of the wires in their correct positioning. You will ensure that bare wires are not visible other than at each of the terminals and that all screws are tight when you have finished. If there is any sign of any burnt plastic in or around the casings, the whole appliance should be removed from duty until you have resolved the problem.

All of these situations can lead to a potential fire at your workplace. The fire might take place when people are around and put people’s lives at risk, but if it occurs when the building is empty the whole of the business might fail because the electrics weren’t checked regularly. This is a very good reason why you should employ an outside agency to professionally carry out this task frequently to ensure your health and safety standards are impeccable.

Chris Jenkinson of Norwood Electrical enjoys helping people improve business infrastructure.

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Not everyone can reach the standards required to play for your local professional team and earn tens of thousands of pounds every week, but the many missed opportunities for better players (in their own minds) to continue to play five or seven a side football, when they are past their sell by date for active 11 a side football against 18-year-old players, provides the opportunity to continue to participate with compatible individuals and teams.

Avoiding contact sports

One of the greatest advantages of playing five or seven a side football within small confined stadiums is the ability to avoid the majority of hard crunching tackles that is the highlight of 11 a side football. The majority of players will need to go to work the day after a competitive small sided game and although some tackles are part and parcel of the way the match is played, many players prefer to move and pass the ball to gain an opportunity to score rather than think they have the individual dribbling talent of Ryan Giggs or Ronaldo.

A second advantage of small sided football is where some of the rules are changed to suit the size of the football pitch and the type of game being played. Although five a side football is much quicker than 11 a side, because offside is no longer one of the laws of the game, players can curb their enthusiasm for running throughout the entire match by hanging around in specific zones on the pitch which reduces the effort and requirements of players moving into their 40s or 50s.

A full body workout

While it can be argued that playing football does not provide the full body workout that you would associate with an hour in the gym, it does provide an extremely hectic 10 to 40 minutes when you will probably cover more miles than you would playing 11 a side matches.

The passion that players have to play football in any format provides them with the ability to continue to play the game well into the middle section of their lives, when it is clear that they are not going to match the pace of 11 a side matches against younger and fitter players.

The experience that an older player brings to the game can often be proved in small sided football as the younger players will turn around aimlessly trying to perform tricks they’ve seen on television across the weekend, whereas the knowledge gained by players who have considered giving up the game for 10 years or more, is in knowing where to be at the right time and also understanding when it’s a waste of time running back to try and tackle a player you will never reach.

The only difficulty found by many small sided game footballers is to balance the ability to replace those lost fluids correctly after a match with healthy drinks and that it is not a competition to get through as many beers as possible as soon as the game ends, but that does provide the social environment to right the mistakes of the game just completed. (Image: Mick Baker).

Chris Jenkinson writes for 5-a-side.org, home of the London 5-a-side football leagues.

The post How 5 a Side Soccer Keeps You Healthy Into Your Fifties appeared first on Happy Healthy Hub.

It may sound like you have everything you need for the perfect beach holiday (assuming you’re already in possession of a ticket to somewhere sunny) but have you thought about sun protection? There are lots of reasons why it’s one of the most important aspects of your holiday. The trouble with sun damage is that we don’t see it till it’s too late to do anything about it. Lots of people who discovered Spanish beaches in the 1970s are now paying the price with prematurely aged skin. But this doesn’t have to happen to you if you take suitable precautions.

Protecting the Head and Eyes

Let’s start right at the top. It’s important to wear a hat or cap when out in the sun. For the youngest sun-worshippers a UV protected hat with a flap to cover the neck will keep those delicate areas protected. A similar version in adult size can be useful for long hours in the sun. At other times, any head covering will help reduce the likelihood of sunstroke. And don’t forget to take a dip in the sea every so often to cool down. Pay special attention to your eyes and get a decent set of sunglasses for UVA and UVB protection.

Bikinis and swim shorts cut an attractive figure when lying on a sun lounger, but they won’t offer much protection from the sun’s rays. Be sure to pick a lounger that’s under an umbrella so you can get some shade from time to time. It’s also a good idea to wear a sun-protective shirt if you are going to do watersports, as almost any sunscreen will wear off after a few minutes. These are made of the same material as the children’s version and are an essential for a beach holiday.

Choosing a Sunscreen

Then, of course, there’s sunscreen – you can never have too much of this when holidaying in the sun. There’s a huge variety of products available from sticks to wipes to creams to sprays. It doesn’t matter which variety you choose, as long as you have some. Sunscreen wipes are especially handy when travelling with kids, who never want to stay still long enough for a full sun cream application. Whatever you use, be sure to cover all exposed areas and those that might become exposed. Pay attention to areas that are often forgotten like the tops of the feet and the ankles.

What About Your Face?

It’s worth paying special attention to your face as this is wear the most visible sun damage usually is. That’s because it’s the area that gets most exposure to sunlight throughout your life. The best approach is to use a high factor sunscreen on your holiday and a moisturiser with sun protection the rest of the year. That should keep your skin protected and avoid the worst kinds of sun damage.

Finally, don’t be misled into believing that if your skin is darker you don’t need to use sunscreen. While it’s true that the more melanin your skin has the more natural protection you have, darker skins are also susceptible to sun damage, so put that sunscreen on!

Ian Pressman is from Sunglasses Online, a UK firm providing sunglasses.

Images: Epsos.de/Chris Frewin/Flickr

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Moving to Ikaria

At just under 100 miles square and with a population of around 8500 people, Ikaria is a small Greek island just off the western coast of Turkey. The residents are noted for having the longest lifespan in the world. In comparison to the European average of 0.1% of people living to be older than the age of 90, Ikaria can claim that over 1% of its population is over that age; that’s 10 times more than the regular average.

A professor and medical doctor, Gerasimos Siasos, from the University of Athens Medical School, decided to investigate the relationship between the population’s coffee drinking habits  and their health.

Knowing that other research has shown that drinking a moderate amount of coffee every day reduces the risks of heart disease, the scientists decided to concentrate on the endothelium, which is the layer of cells that line the blood vessels and is often cited as being able to show the differences between people’s lifestyles, habits and their age.

Greek coffee is made by boiling the water and coffee in a pot and then serving it up in a cup so that the grounds settle at the bottom. This is different to the way most people prepare their coffee around the world and may or may not be a deciding factor.

The research data

Exactly 71 females and 71 males all over 65 were chosen for the experiment. They had also lived all of their lives on Ikaria. The study compared their lifestyles, coffee consumption habit, along with checking their medical health by paying particular attention to diabetes and high blood pressure. Each person was tested to study how their endothelium worked.

After analysing the different ways that they all consumed their coffee, the data showed that more than 87% of the people drank coffee prepared Greek style every day and most of those showed a better endothelial function than the people who drank coffee prepared in other ways. It was the same for hypertension sufferers.

The study shows additional proof linking cardiovascular health with nutritional health, which may be because the Greek coffee is polyphenol and antioxidant rich.

The consumption of boiled Greek coffee may not be the only reason that people live longer on the island than anywhere else in the world, on average, but in trying to find ways to live healthier and longer, any advantage should be considered. It’s time for a much bigger experiment to find out if boiled Greek coffee is the only reason that people are living longer on the island.

Damien Higgins writes for Eden Springs who supply coffee machines for offices.

Image credit

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