​Finally, the dreary winter days are coming to an end. You only have to step outside to see the signs - the sun is shining a little bit more and daffodils are starting to poke out of the soil.
It’s time to snap out of the winter funk and come out of hibernation.
Spring is the perfect time of year to clear away the things that aren’t working for you and kick start some new work habits. As nice as it is to have a spring clean at home, it is your workplaces and work life that tend to pile on the stress. So, think of spring as your mid-year new beginning and pick up some fresh habits to make your work life more productive and less stressful.
Here’s how...

​When you have to sit at a desk all day it can be hard to keep active. Too much sitting is bad for your health, as is not enough exercise. But when you are doing office work for 8 hours a day it can be hard to fit in a work out, not to mention that going to the gym after work in the winter dark is often the last thing you feel like doing.
The good news is that you don't have to work in a gym to get exercise during office hours. Here are a few simple fitness tips to help you get active during work time. 

​7 Fitness Tips For Office Workers
​
1: Start with The Commute
You can get creative when it comes to getting active on your commute. If you live close to work you could walk or cycle. If you live further away, then try walking to the bus or train station, then walking onto work from your stop.
 
2: Park Further Away
If you need to take a vehicle, then park at the far end of the car park so that you get a bit of exercise at the beginning and end of the day. This also applies for if you have to go out for a meeting, or if you pop out to grab lunch too. Just remember to factor in the extra time it takes to walk from further away so you aren’t late to work. 

Pain is exhausting. You may not have consciously realized it, but the pain that has nagged you all day has drained you almost as bad as the flu.
Pain drains you physically and mentally, and it kills your concentration.
When you're in pain, you will find it hard to perform as you normally would when you're not in pain. 
Why am I saying this? 
Because most of us who sit all day in front of a computer, feels some kind of ache in our muscles, especially neck and shoulders, but also in the back and in our legs. Sitting causes more pressure on the spine than standing (so please get up from the chair and take a break right now if you're reading this).

One of the main reasons I started Bodyworkz Corporate Massage was because I liked the idea of taking massage to the place where people spent most of their time, at work.
I personally also dislike being in pain, as it makes it harder to do almost everything in my life.
Since I worked in a massage clinic then, I made sure I was having massages weekly (to walk the talk kind of thing). 
Although I was very busy with regular people who was already looking after themselves with massage, I realized how many people simply could not afford to come, or could not afford the time to come to the clinic. 
This is why I wanted to bring massage to your workplace, to help not just release that aches but stop it from getting worse. Even a 15-min massage on a regular basis can make a huge difference when you have a trained massage therapist on the job. They know what they are doing, and have been trained to massage over the clothes, to get the circulation going, and release the tension.
​
If you think this is something you might like to try for yourself, send us an email, or give us a call today!

​When it comes to work, there is always going to be an element of stress. Tight deadlines, a boss breathing down your neck, unexpected client requests and any number of other things can affect your stress levels.
But what if I told you that stress didn’t have to bring you down and halt your progress?

​What if there was a way to make stress work for you in high pressure times? Well, there are in fact 3 ways that you can make stress work for you. They are…

Research has proven that sitting for long periods of time is considered to be the new 'smoking', so we thought we would explore the standing desk phenomenon.
What are they really about and are they actually good for you?
This is what we found out…

Why You Should Consider A Standing Desk…
​
1: Burn Extra Calories
You can burn extra calories in the day just by standing up! In fact, you can burn up to 50 calories an hour at a standing desk as you are engaging many of your muscles. You are also more likely to move around if you are already on your feet, burning even more kilojoules. These small movements can help reduce the risk of obesity.
2: Reduced Chance of Major Illnesses
Sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and other cardiovascular conditions. Research has proven that the movement associated with a standing desk can even reduce the risk of contracting certain types of cancer that are linked with inactivity.
 
3: Increased Energy

Stress management is a usual part of daily office life.
There are deadlines to meet, overbearing managers to deal with and annoying colleagues to face.
While we think massage is still the number one way to relieve office stress,
you can also do it through what you eat.
Did you know that some foods are known to cause stress?
​If you avoid them, it can help with your personal stress management. Want to know what they are? 

1: Refined Sugar
Oh, that 3pm choccie bar that you snuck out of your desk drawer tastes so good, but it can stress you. Majorly.
Sugar has a nasty habit of messing with your mood. Eating it will cause your blood sugar to spike and you will experience a high. But not long after, your blood sugar plummets and you will suffer a drastic low which can make you irritable. You crave more sugar and the whole cycle starts again. The more times you repeat the cycle, the more stressed your body becomes.

2: Caffeine
Say it isn’t so! The morning cup of java is actually contributing to your stress levels. Caffeine gives your body a hit of energy and gets you started for the day. But in doing that, it stimulates your nervous system, putting you on constant high alert. Drinking too much can also cause your heartbeat to quicken and your blood pressure to rise.
It makes sense that stimulating the central nervous system also raises your stress levels. The more caffeine you drink in a day, the more stressed you can become.

Do you come home from the office with an aching neck, a twinge in your back and tight feeling shoulders? If you do, it is time to look at your posture when you sit at your desk. It is incredibly common to sit in an unnatural position if you lean forward to squint at the screen, slouch in your chair, or don't have the right desk setup.
Bad posture can not only lead to aches and pains, but it can affect your mood too. It can increase your feelings of depression, completely zap your energy and cut off your circulation.
So let’s look at how you can improve your posture to minimize these things...


1: Ears To Shoulders
A really good way to ensure you are sitting up straight is to align your ears with your shoulders. It will make sure you don't lean too far forwards or backwards. Tuck that chin in!

The holiday season is not generally associated with looking after your body. Generally, it is known for over indulgence, pushing yourself to the limit and doing things you wouldn't do normally. None of those things are particularly good for your body.
​So here are our top 3 tips for having healthy holidays for your body...

Get Active
The best way to keep your body healthy is to eat well and get regular exercise. Over Christmas, eating well is pretty much out of the question. So instead, we recommend getting active instead.
Just some gentle exercise will do the job, so take a walk on the beach, explore the streets of your holiday destination, run about with the kids, or get swimming in the sunshine. It will keep your muscles moving, the endorphin's flowing and contribute to healthy holidays. 
​
Bonus tip: Moving aids digestion, so you could head out for a wee walk after Christmas lunch.

On-site chair massage can be a great addition to a regular Wellness programme, or Wellness Day, and is usually great feature due to its simple set-up and high benefits (and enjoyment).
Here are my personal 3 'basic reasons' favorites, for having on-site chair massage in your workplace:

No equipment needed: On-site chair massage is mobile service, as we come to your workplace. The therapists bring their own portable ergonomic massage chair that sets up easily anywhere you want it. It doesn’t take up space, nor does it require heavy lifting. You don’t have to do anything, except provide a meeting room, and turn up when it is your turn in the chair. It is that easy.

Short time away from the desk: The sessions are short, only 15 to 20 minutes, so you don’t spend too much time away from your desk. However there is another important benefit from a shorter sessions, and that is that this kind of massage doesn't take you into a deep relaxing state (which is the autonomic nervous system) and won't make you sleepy or too tired. This means that you will feel all the physical benefits of the massage but your mind is still able to get right back to work.

Cost effective, from a company's point of view: You pay for the massage time of the staff only. You don’t pay for breaks, or people getting in and out of the chairs etc.
It is a small cost for a 15 minute massage session that has health benefits for the staff, can lower the amount of sick-days in the office, and also boosts morale all around.
Think of it as an investment into your team.
Talk to us today how we can help you get the benefits of chair massage  for your workplace!

Planning
Don’t let the end of year sneak up on you. It comes around every year, so don’t be surprised by it, leaving yourself completely unprepared. Work out a plan of what you have coming up, what needs to be completed and what can be left until the new year. This should be in all areas of your life - work, family and social.
Once you have your list of things to do, put a plan in place so you know when you need to do everything to avoid missing deadlines. It might be useful to add things to a calendar, have a to do list, or use a record management system to keep track of everything. Your brain can only remember so much...