11/ 02/ 2007
by Glenn Townes
Entrepreneurs are used to working long hours and occasionally ignoring their health, all for the sake of making their small business a success. With the holiday season quickly approaching and leftover Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies and Christmas goodies all racing through our heads, now is the time to establish healthy holiday habits that will make your New Year's resolutions last well beyond the first slice of pumpkin pie.
Chances are excellent that as a business owner you spend a lot of time on your feet, checking on supplies, employees and everything else. It might be a good idea to purchase a pedometer, an inexpensive device that attaches to your belt or pocket to record the total number of steps you take daily. Walking is great exercise. Strive for 10,000 steps each day and increase your number by taking a longer route to the photocopier or the bathroom. Walk during the rare occasions when you take a coffee break. Go talk to a colleague or employee instead of sending an e-mail. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Remember: You burn four calories for every 10 stairs you climb.
As a business owner, it's up to you to create a fitness-friendly atmosphere at the office. The benefits such as offering fitness-club discounts or other health-focused initiatives will outweigh the cons, especially in the long run, with lower health-insurance claims for employees.
You might even encourage your employees to establish a weight loss goal. Offer incentives, such as a day off or an extended lunch period. A long-term fitness goal will motivate everyone to continue to exercise; it will also promote a unity and teamwork.
Healthy potlucks
The holiday season is notorious for endless food binges and potlucks. Instead of dumping high-calorie and fattening holiday leftovers, such as cakes, pies, candy and cookies, on unsuspecting coworkers and employees, consider healthy alternatives. Fresh fruits, vegetables, dip or high-fiber snacks are palpable replacements. A serving of fruit averages only 60 calories and contains little or no fat. A single serving of sweets may contain up to 350 calories and 25 grams of fat.
Water, water everywhere
Above-average water intake keeps your metabolism stable and wards off intense hunger cravings. In many cases, people mistake thirst for hunger and often end up binging to quench their thirst. As a business owner, encourage your employees to drink healthy by keeping the employee fridge stocked with an endless supply of bottled water and juice.
Finally, the key to staying healthy is, of course, eating healthy and exercise; we hear it all the time. However, as a small-business owner, you should continue to promote a healthy lifestyle to your employees. During this time of the year, it might be a good idea to have a nutritionist visit the office and give a pep talk to workers about how to eat healthy and still enjoy the holidays. Establish a goal and work as a team to achieve it—whether it is to lose 10 pounds or to exercise more—and support your employees in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Just because it's winter doesn't mean that we have accept lethargy and food excesses without question. Perhaps, instead of entering New Year's Day with the standard resolutions about losing weight, quitting smoking and starting to exercise, you might already have achieved them.
