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Fight SA fatigue with diet and excercise

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15th Jan 2016
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New research from CABA indicates that accountants are increasingly worried about the negative impact of hard, long hours and poor diet on their health.

Especially in SA season, an accountant can fall prey to a very sedentary lifestyle. Many work long hours in the office filing, and are too tired to exercise after work. But there are some elementary steps you can take to minimize the damage of self-assessment season.

Diet                  

A lot is spoken of exercise (of course, it’s very important), but our diets are often compounding the effects of long hours at our desks.

Especially in Christmas’s bacchanalian wake, it’s important to limit your sugar and saturated fat intake. Treats are nice, but eating lots of saturated fats or sugar will affect your body’s energy levels and although the short endorphin bump from sugar might be satisfying, the calories have very low nutritional value. They won’t get you through the day.

In fact, not only can a healthy diet filled with healthy, complex carbohydrates (think brown rice, sweet potato, and apples) help power you through SA season,  but what you eat can help combat stress. Research has proven that some foods can reduce symptoms of stress. For example, low levels of zinc are associated with anxiety; eating more cashew nuts can address this, turkey is also high in zinc and B vitamins. “While magnesium, found in sweet potatoes, can help you relax,” says CABA.

Small lifestyle changes make a difference: Ditch white bread and go for whole grain, instead of mayo in your tuna, go with Greek yogurt. A vitamin supplement can also help. Taking too many vitamins is a waste of time, according to the NHS - but for individuals who stay inside for long hours with little access to sunlight, a vitamin D supplement is ideal.

For lunch and dinner, follow the rule of thumb: Lean protein, vegetable, and complex carb. Supplement your meals with healthy snacks like fruit and nuts, and wash it down with water or healthy teas like Rooibos or Green.

Exercise

According to CABA, only 25% of past and present ICAEW members believe that their managers support regular exercise and 20% of members have seen a negative impact on their weight.

“The perception that managers do not support exercise is a worry. Healthy employees will perform better in the workplace, as they will have more energy and will be more productive,” says Nicki Cresswell, CABA’s wellbeing training coordinator. “There is also a link between exercise and reduced stress levels, so it is clearly in the interests of both the employer and employee to get enough exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

Accountants are extremely busy (especially now) but people overestimate just how much exercise is needed to benefit. Research by Harvard medical school found that as little as 15 minutes of moderate exercise slowed the aging process. There’s no excuse. Go outside at lunchtime, go for a brisk walk. Forget the lift, take the stairs.

“People often fixate on their cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure numbers. But exercise is the dimension that moderates other risks,” writes Harvard’s Dr. Daniel Forman. “If your cholesterol is a little high but you are fit, it’s quite different than if your cholesterol is a little high and you’re sitting on your couch all day.”

And on a more immediate level, physical activity simply helps to beat stress and make you feel better in yourself.

Work out at work

A versatile, and affordable, piece of kit for exercising at work is an exercise ball. Just sitting on the exercise ball engages your abdominal muscles and core. Switch your slouchy, rigid office chair for an exercise ball periodically throughout the day. Exercise balls can improve posture, help alleviate lower back and sciatic pain.

An easy exercise combination, writes Cindy Whitmarsh on AccountingWEB US, is sit-ups on the exercise ball. “Keep your lower back supported and shoulder blades up and off the ball,” says Whitmarsh. “Tuck your chin, keep your hands to your chest, and ‘crunch’ down five to eight inches. Return to the starting position. Pull your abs in as you crunch and exhale on the lift!”

Another simple, albeit weirdly named, exercise is the wooden leg. Sit upright in your chair, extend your right leg straight out in front of you so that it is parallel with the floor. Hold for two seconds. Now raise your leg as high as it can go without bending. Hold for two seconds and bring your leg back to the floor. Repeat both legs for 15 reps.

There are many, many exercises you can do from the comfort of your office chair. In the end, you’ve got a lot to gain from just a few minutes of exercise and a healthy diet. “The new year provides an opportunity to appraise your lifestyle and make positive changes. Our research shows that members are feeling stressed and time poor,” says CABA’s Cresswell. “We are encouraging all members to focus on their wellbeing in 2016.”

Replies (7)

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avatar
By Jean- Ralphio
14th Jan 2016 16:51

no thanks

Fight SA fatigue with chocolate and alcohol

Thanks (4)
Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
15th Jan 2016 01:53

&/OR

Many will benefit from taking a few minutes out, say at the end of the morning & afternoon, (and after exercise) to just sit, breathe and spend pure "me" time.  

The one activity that we must all do is to breathe and so, if you close your eyes and use your breath to relax and bring you into one moment after another, it acts like a full-stop to anything else you might have been doing, and if you do it often enough, you can teach yourself to do it, sometimes for only a matter of seconds, when stress hits.

There are a number of podcasts on the Mental Health Foundation's website that talk you through a variety of these, from say 6 to 17 minutes in length and I guarantee you'll find one or two that will suit and that you can listen to time after time without the effects diminishing.

Most of us spend most of our waking hours at the moment dealing with other people's stuff, surely we deserve 20 minutes a day just for us?

What's interesting is that when I do this in the early evening, it lessens my desire to open a bottle, ie I really have to force myself!

Thanks (2)
Replying to Jigs:
Francois
By Francois Badenhorst
15th Jan 2016 10:04

Very good point, Paul

Meditation is another excellent way to unmoor yourself from SA stress. Thank you for a link to those podcasts. I'll check them out for personal use as well. 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By bendybod
15th Jan 2016 09:29

Walk!

My rule is to always go out at lunchtime.  All but the very worst weather conditions I will walk about 7 minutes to a coffee shop, sit and think about something other than work, and then walk back.  I don't care if it's silly season.  That's still my time.

If it floats your boat, a massage is also good for getting rid of some of the pent up stress and having a bit of time out for yourself.

My key to losing weight was to congratulate 'good' behaviour like going to the gym or the pool with something healthier than chocolate - even if it was a cup of nice coffee or a jacuzzi.

Thanks (1)
Replying to Paul Crowley:
Francois
By Francois Badenhorst
15th Jan 2016 10:06

Great idea!

bendybod wrote:

My rule is to always go out at lunchtime.  All but the very worst weather conditions I will walk about 7 minutes to a coffee shop, sit and think about something other than work, and then walk back.  I don't care if it's silly season.  That's still my time.

If it floats your boat, a massage is also good for getting rid of some of the pent up stress and having a bit of time out for yourself.

My key to losing weight was to congratulate 'good' behaviour like going to the gym or the pool with something healthier than chocolate - even if it was a cup of nice coffee or a jacuzzi.

That's a very effective policy. It's just nice to go outside and get air, and it doubles as exercise. A healthy dose of Vit D also helps. And if you couple this moderate exercise with a sensible diet, you're on a winning route. I read a great tip in men's health once: Make a healthy diet plan and follow it 80% of the time. That's all you need. 

Thanks (0)
By dialm4accounts
15th Jan 2016 11:33

Run it off!

I took up running 2 years ago and it's been very good for my health - both physical and mental. It's a wonderful stress buster to lace up my trainers, go outside and run in the park or along by the canal or the river. If I know I won't have time to run at lunch-time, then going before breakfast sets me up for the day!

Thanks (1)
Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
15th Jan 2016 12:16

&/OR

Let a dog take the strain.  

Having to go out for up to an hour a day in all weather (even if she hangs back on the doorstep when it's raining) is how I fulfil the getting out stuff above.  It's also proven that playing and petting an animal (domestic rather than wild) brings your mind to the present and fires up the happy chemicals (even if it hacks her off).

Thanks (3)