The potential harmful effects of sitting in an office all day have been well-documented – from the back stress and pain of sitting for long periods, to tired computer eyes, to being exposed to workmates who spread cold and flu germs.

Perhaps even more concerning, experts now say that some of the things we do to protect ourselves in an office setting might be part of the problem, too. Here are some of those things, as well as a healthier solution.

1. Wrist Rests
Meant to provide extra cushioning for your wrists as you type, experts now say that wrist rests can put extra pressure on major blood vessels, tendons and nerves – and may even lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. And CTS can not only impede your typing, but also impair your ability to do basic tasks such as picking up a coffee cup or brushing your teeth.

The solution? The wrist rest should actually support your palm, so position your hand so that your palm (not your wrist) is placed against the wrist rest.

2. Stability Ball Seats
Used correctly, stability ball seats can stabilize core muscles, improve posture and are healthy for your spine. But many people use them incorrectly by sitting at the wrong height, which can lead to back injury and pain.

The solution? Make sure that your thighs are parallel to the ground when sitting in a stability ball seat. Adjust your desk so that your upper arms are parallel with your spine and your eyes are focused on the middle of your computer screen.

3. Ergonomic Keyboards
Back in the day, ergonomic keyboards were the innovation that you had to have. As it turns out, however, they force you to hold your upper arms and elbows at awkward angles that cause fatigue. That fatigue, along with pain, can also extend to your neck, back and shoulders.

The solution? Use a regular keyboard instead.

4. Standing Desks
More and more studies show that too much sitting can create chronic problems and even shorten lifespans. Yet, studies have also shown that standing for the majority of the workday can lead to fatigue, leg cramps and backaches.

The solution? Alternate sitting and standing, doing each for an hour before switching. It's also important to wear comfortable, supportive shoes.

5. Brown Bag Lunch
It's generally accepted that packing a lunch is the healthier alternative to buying one. But that depends on what you pack.

The solution? Pack healthy foods that aren't processed and be mindful of portion size.

For information about healthy habits in the workplace, contact the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo. We have corporate plans to fit your business.

Corporate wellness essentially means that a company creates programs and a culture that focuses on employees health and well-being. Wellness is not limited to fitness. There are many aspects to wellness, including fitness, nutrition, mental health, and ergonomics.

Smart companies know that healthy, happy employees have fewer sick days, resulting in reduced loss of productivity. Healthy employees are also more productive. Having corporate wellness programs in place can also result in lower health insurance coverage costs.

How Do I Start A Corporate Wellness Program?

First off, you don't need to be a huge corporation to have a wellness program. Even a small business can set a program in place to encourage a healthy lifestyle for its employees. Some businesses offer their employees free or discounted gym memberships. If you want to learn more about offering discounted gym memberships, talk to your health insurance provider. They may have programs that offset your costs, or offer a discount on your insurance premiums. Some even have their own gyms. However, a truly effective way to increase health and fitness for employees is to create a culture that encourages it.

Creating this culture can be done in a number of ways. Most people are more likely to begin exercising or eating right if they have support. Create fitness challenges, for example. Employees who are looking to lose weight or get in shape can participate and whoever meets their goal or whoever makes the most progress wins a prize. There are plenty of ways for employers to "gamify" exercise and nutrition goals.These types of activities promote friendly competition, encouragement and a sense of community.

Encourage employees to participate in a local 5K, or start a company sports team. Replace the junk food vending machines with healthy choices. Encourage walking breaks. Make it fun and social. When employees are in it together, there can be amazing results. These are ways to create a company culture that promotes healthy lifestyle choices, which will result in a healthier, happier and more positive workplace. The ultimate result will be increased productivity and lowered instances of illness that results in sick days. It is a win-win situation.

How Can I Get Help To Start A Corporate Wellness Program?

If your company is interested in corporate wellness programs, but doesn't know where to start, the Downtown Athletic Club can help. One of our personal trainers can come to your place of business for a Lunch and Learn presentation that can educate employees on nutrition and fitness, and help counsel your business on the best ways to start a corporate wellness program tailored to the needs of your employees. We can also host the Lunch and Learn at the Downtown Athletic Club or another location of your choice.

We live in a busy world, working long hours, caring for families and homes. It can seem that there is little time left over for anything else. One of the first things that seems to go by the wayside is health and wellness. You rush through meals, often grabbing fast food. You think about going to the gym, but by the time you get off work and run errands, it’s time for dinner and then you’re wiped out. It may seem like there is just no way to fit exercise into your schedule.

Healthy Employees Should Be A Priority

If you’re an employee, you know that healthy, happy employees are more productive. Employees who are healthy and fit are less likely to miss work due to illness. Many businesses have company wellness programs to encourage employees to adopt healthier habits. If you’re interested in increasing health and wellness in the workplace, but don't know where to start, the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, Texas, can help.

A Lunch and Learn is a great way to bring fitness and health into the workplace. This event can either be hosted by the Downtown Athletic Club at their facility, or they can come to your office or other location. These events are aimed at giving employees the tools they need to lead a healthier lifestyle through exercise and proper diet.

There are a number of ways to incorporate fitness into work life. Many people thrive on challenge, friendly competition, and community. Organizing group fitness activities and creating fitness challenges and competitions is a fun way to encourage healthy activities and build a sense of community in the work place. Some other ideas include:

• A healthy snack program (no junk food vending machines)
  
  
• Company-funded gym memberships (or discounts)
  
  
• Exercise equipment at work
  
  
• Organized sports
  
  
• Awards and incentives for employees who meet fitness or other health related goals, such as a weight loss goal, running a 5K, or quitting smoking
  
  

It’s important to create a culture of health and wellness in the workplace. Many people fail at their fitness goals because they lack support and encouragement. People spend a good portion of their lives on the job, so an environment that actively promotes healthy habits can give each individual the support they need to keep at it.

Each year, companies lose millions of dollars as a result of loss of productivity due to illness, injury, and poor performance. Much of this can be prevented through improved health. If you or your business are looking for ways to positively impact health in the workplace, contact the Downtown Athletic Club to find out if a Lunch and Learn could benefit your work place.

Most people spend a good percentage of their waking hours at their place of employment. In fact, you may spend more of your time at work than at home. So, it makes sense that the environment you work in has a direct effect on your health and wellness.

What Is A Healthy Workplace?

Today, more and more businesses are recognizing the value of a healthy workplace. Health insurance costs are higher than ever before, and every year productivity loss due to illness and injury costs corporations millions of dollars.

A healthy workplace environment is one that values and encourages employees to make healthy choices, cares for its workers by providing ergonomic and safe working conditions, and offers support and education around health and wellness.

How Can I Encourage Health And Fitness On The Job?

There are many ways to accomplish this. For example, ditch the soda machine and offer juices instead. Exercise is a must for long-term health, and many companies offer free or discounted gym memberships to their employees. However, these are often not used. In order to really reap the benefits of corporate wellness programs, a health and fitness "culture" should be created.

A fun way to do this is to organize a fitness challenge at work. People love a challenge. Research has shown that people are more likely to stick with their fitness goals when they have somebody else to exercise and eat right with. Having a "workout buddy" is effective for two main reasons: One is accountability and the other is support. Besides, working out is better with friends.

So how can this translate into the workplace? A gym membership does no good if you aren't getting to the gym. This is where a group fitness challenge can come in. There are plenty of different ways this can be done. A fun, easy way to get everyone motivated is to divide the participants into two teams. Set a time period for the challenge. Thirty days is good. Each participant will need to log in their exercise hours. Time at the gym, walking, and jogging can all count. At the end of the challenge, the team with the most collective hours of exercise will win a prize.

This is a great way to ensure that participants get plenty of encouragement from their teammates and provide accountability. A friendly competition is often just the push needed to get people out of their chairs and get active. There can be plenty of variations on the challenge, this was just an example. Perhaps training for a 5K, or, if there are enough interested participants, you could do a weight loss challenge.

How Can I Start A Fitness Challenge At Work?

If you’re interested in creating a fitness challenge, or finding other ways to incorporate health and fitness on the job, contact the Downtown Athletic Club. This Amarillo gym has a wide variety of programs, including nutrition counseling and group fitness activities, that can help your business get started.

What is a healthy work environment? Any business, whether it be a large corporation, or a small to mid-size business, should give this some thought. A business with healthy, happy employees is a more successful business. No matter how good your product or service is, employees who are unhealthy and unhappy make a direct impact on your bottom line. This happens as a result of excessive sick days and overall lower morale, which results in lowered productivity.

How can the workplace be healthy?

There are several ways to encourage healthy habits in employees and create an environment within the workplace that promotes wellness. Some of these include:

• Ergonomic work stations
  
• Replacing traditional vending machine snacks and sodas with healthy foods
  
• Implementing programs to increase awareness around health and fitness
  
• Company sponsored gym memberships
  
  

Office settings, in particular, are at risk of productivity loss due to illness. A combination of factors are at play. Due to close quarters, viruses tend to run rampant. Sitting at a desk for hours at a time has been proven to be detrimental on a number of levels. Poor posture, poor circulation, strain on the back and hips, all of these increase the chances of poor employee health.

Employees should be encouraged to take frequent walking and stretching breaks. Breaking up periods of sitting with stretching and walking improves circulation and also gives the eyes a much needed screen break. Although these breaks would seem to take away from work time, they actually increase alertness and mood, which in turn increases productivity.

How does a healthier lifestyle improve work performance?

Exercise is one of the best ways to improve overall health. It boosts the immune system, increases strength and flexibility, which reduces the risk of injury. Regular exercise also improves mood and promotes a sense of well-being. Of course, maintaining a healthy weight and improving cardiovascular health are also huge benefits. It makes sense, then, that employees who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to call in sick, and more likely to arrive at work feeling happy, energetic and productive.

Employer gym membership programs can range from full employer compensation to a reduced rate where the employee pays the partial cost of the membership. The return on investment for employers is significant. Combined with other wellness programs such as healthy snacks, education and incentives, increased employee health is a huge payoff.

How can employers make fitness fun?

Incentives can include a yearly "bonus prize" for employees who make the biggest strides in health and fitness. Incorporating some friendly competition can be a fun way to encourage fitness. Encourage employees to form lunchtime walking groups and maybe organize some team sports like a company softball team.

Where can I get employee gym memberships in Amarillo?

If you are interested in a company sponsored gym membership or employee wellness program, the Downtown Athletic Club can come to your business for health discussions, group training and more. These "Lunch and Learns" can increase employee health awareness and be a fun way to introduce the idea of workplace fitness. Make adopting healthy habits easy and fun, and your employees will be much more likely to participate. Contact the Downtown Athletic Club today to learn more about how you can get your office healthier and happier.

by Dominic Zumbrun - More by Dominic Zumbrun

There are as many reasons that are compelling you to go to the gym as there are compelling excuses that are keeping you away. Your desire to get those killer abs vies with your aversion to having to deal with people who do absolutely nothing other than sit in a gym and work on getting killer abs. Additionally, as a busy professional or parent, you don’t have the time to play the waiting games that are normally associated with trying to work out at a gym. For Amarillo, Texas residents who are looking for a completely new gym experience, the Downtown Athletic Club offers a unique experience for getting healthy without having to deal with the hassles of a traditional gym experience. At the DAC, it’s more than working out. Of course, you will have access to state-of-the-art workout equipment, nationally certified personal trainers, professional massage therapists and fun group fitness classes; but you will also meet new people and learn new things about yourself along your road to health.

The Whole Experience

Whether your fitness goal is to lose weight, build strength, increase energy, or improve endurance, a world-class health club offers a variety ways to help meet those goals. Setting goals, designing plans to achieve those goals, and maintaining the level of enthusiasm required to complete that fitness journey requires dedicated cheerleaders that will celebrate each fitness milestone with you. You will find that in the DAC’s instructors and personal trainers, along with your fellow gym-goers.

From free weights to Zumba classes, having the right equipment and the right program is critical to making the gym experience more than an activity the falls quickly to the bottom of  the to-do list in the face of most people’s busy schedules. Whether you are looking to blow off some steam with a couple hours of basketball after work, or your doctor has recommended much more cardio that you typically get on your couch, a membership to an upscale health center such as the Downtown Athletic Club provides the outlet, passion, and equipment to deliver on your health goal.

Grunting and pumping iron is not the end all of a healthy workout regime. Indeed, good nutrition, a vibrant social life with like-minded thinkers, and mental clarity are all part of the holistic approach healthy people are looking for to improve their overall physical well-being. Finding a workout refuge that offers all of that is now easy in Amarillo, Texas.

When it’s Time to Get Fit, Fit in a Visit to the Downtown Athletic Club

Amarillo residents looking to get fit and enjoy a new, healthy lifestyle are turning to the expert fitness staff at the Downtown Athletic Club.  At the DAC, our highly trained staff of personal trainers is standing by to answer your fitness questions and to give you a tour of our inviting and modern facilities at 320 S. Polk Street in the heart of downtown Amarillo. 

The DAC is a judgement-free place where people of all shapes and sizes work hard to reach their maximum potential. In addition, our group classes and group training sessions are a perfect opportunity to meet new people and socialize. Cafe DAC offers healthy, satisfying snacks and meals. Contact the DAC today to schedule a tour of our health club.

by Dominic Zumbrun - More by Dominic Zumbrun

Personal trainers spend their days working to help their clients achieve their fitness goals. They evaluate each individual to determine what that person needs and to get a sense of where they want to be; they then tailor an exercise regimen that helps them to get there. This customization is important since different goals call for different types of exercises. If you want to lose weight, you will have to focus on cardio exercises; if your goal is to build muscle mass, your workouts should revolve around strength training. In some cases, a personal trainer may only meet with you for one or two sessions; in others, they will work with you regularly. They not only create an exercise regimen for you, but help to keep you motivated as well. There are many benefits to hiring a personal trainer. Just make sure you are able to commit to it!

Benefits of Working Out With a Personal Trainer

Personal training sessions take time and money, so you must be willing to make the investment. Personal trainers can help you achieve your fitness and health goals quicker than if you were to do try on your own. Personal trainers can offer:

• Customized Workouts: A customized workout offers a number of things. A trainer can see where you need help and adapt exercises to suit you. A personal trainer can also vary your workouts so that you do not get bored doing the same set of exercises repeatedly. Not only does this keep you from getting bored, it also keeps you from hitting a plateau where you stop seeing benefits from working out.
  
• Faster Results: The fact that your trainer can customize your workout to suit you allows you to see results of your work more quickly. Your body is stressed by the workouts and adapts to that stress by getting stronger. A trainer can help you to achieve in months what you have not been able to achieve in years working out by yourself.

• More Effective Workouts: Personal trainers know how to combine cardio exercise and strength training to help you: Lose body fat; gain stamina and energy; increase performance in sports; and reduce stress.

• Motivation: Yes, your motivation does come from within; however, your trainer can act as a sparkplug for that motivation and challenge you to go the extra mile in each workout. A personal trainer will hold you accountable and can enable you to concentrate on your exercises by counting your reps for you.

• Safety: If you are a newcomer to the gym, you may be unfamiliar with some of the equipment; a personal trainer can instruct you on how to use weight machines and other devices without injuring yourself. You will also learn how to perform each exercise properly to avoid overly straining muscles and joints.
  
  

Is a Personal Trainer Right for You?

Effective workouts are more than just randomly chosen exercises and a variable number of reps. For you to get any benefit from your workout, it should be carefully planned by someone who knows that they are doing. The Downtown Athletic Club has professional, nationally certified personal trainers on staff to help you reach your fitness goals. Our personal trainers can work with you one-on-one or with a group. With 10 personal trainers on staff, we can easily work with you to schedule convenient training sessions to fit into your work schedule and family life. If you want to see real results, contact our Amarillo health club today.

by Dominic Zumbrun - More by Dominic Zumbrun

Wellness is a goal that everyone should be embracing. Wellness incorporates the idea of a person getting to a healthy state of body and mind, and staying there through good nutrition and exercise. Wellness helps people to live longer, live life better, and simply just makes things easier. Today's business world makes it challenging for employees to embrace a healthy lifestyle though. Many companies expect their employees to work longer hours, take shorter lunches and breaks, and handle higher levels of stress for longer periods. When you work late into the night and don’t get a dinner or lunch break, you’ll probably resort to fast food. Stress causes restless sleep. Both of these are terrible for your overall health. On the other hand, this costs the company in terms of higher healthcare costs, lower productivity, and poor levels of employee morale. This is where corporate wellness packages from a health club come into play.

A Healthy Workforce Offers Higher Profits

Human resource experts will tell you that companies have a stake in making sure their staff members are healthy and have lower levels of stress. Think about this:

• A healthy workforce has lower absenteeism. When people are in poor health, they are more likely to take a day off due to personal illness and stress-related issues. These losses add up to significant lost productivity every year.|
  
  
• A healthy workforce has lower presenteeism. When someone is not feeling good due to a health issue, they are not performing at their best level at work. HR experts call this presenteeism. Many companies report that presenteeism is a big concern, since the amount of lost productivity for this outweighs absenteeism several times over.
  
  
• A healthy workforce reduces healthcare costs for everyone. Companies that promote wellness incentives for their employees can see lower insurance costs. With less health care claims and improving health levels, the costs for each employee's health care will go down.
  
  
• A healthy workforce improves company profitability. Increased productivity, lower health care costs, and healthy employees all translate into increasing profits and reducing costs.
  
  

Corporate Wellness Options

If you want to make a healthy and happy lifestyle accessible to your employees, you need to make it convenient, affordable, and employee-focused. Offering them a corporate wellness program from a local athletic club or health center is a great way to make this happen. What do corporate wellness packages often entail?

• Corporate fitness classes - Classes specially put together for workgroups or departments.
  
  
• Lunch and learns - Topics are diverse and may include nutrition, wellness information, the do's and don'ts of working out, among other topics.
  
  
• Personal trainers come to the office for workout sessions - Getting to the gym is a challenge for many people who have full-time or demanding jobs. Having the option to do a bit of exercise in the office is a great way to promote fitness and fit it into your busy schedule. Yoga in the mornings before your cup of coffee and a 30-minute cardio session at lunch are just a couple of examples of things you could do.
  
  

• Customizable workouts for employees - Fitting in exercise during the holidays while stuck at the office or a fast workout before or after work is the perfect way to get wellness training going.
  
  
• Discounted memberships - To promote ongoing fitness, you need to offer discounts on fitness center memberships. This will encourage people to keep up their fitness and wellness routines.
  

If you work in Amarillo, the Downtown Athletic Club is conveniently located on the fourth floor of the Maxor building. The DAC offers an array of amenities for businesses, from personal training and lunch and learns, to group discounts and customized classes. The Downtown Athletic Club wants to help you and your employees get healthy, happy, and improve their overall well-being. Contact the DAC today for a tour of our facility or to get more information about our corporate wellness offerings.