Corporate employees frequently experience a variety of health-related issues. With a 9-5 job, there is little time to devote to one’s physical and mental health. Most corporate workers are unable to rest properly, do not engage in physical activities, and have little time for recreational activities. With a mountain of work on their plates and the pressure to meet deadlines, corporate workers frequently neglect their health. This sometimes results in serious health problems that could have been avoided with a few simple lifestyle changes.
The two most important things we should include in our daily lives are proper nutrition and physical activity. Healthy eating and exercise take a back seat for people who have to sit in one place and work for 9 hours.
When you can’t perform the hard work, though, you can acquire the same outcomes by doing sensible work. It is considered that even a daily 15-minute practise of Yoga can have a significant positive impact on your mental and physical health. So, why would you consider purchasing an expensive gym membership that you will never use? Yoga is a great option because it is both attainable and practical.
Preeti Malhotra, Practice Head – wellness and partnerships at Great Place to Work India, “Health and Wellness is definitely a key challenge and among the top priorities for all organizations today. The beauty about yoga is that it offers a simple yet very powerful way to manage both physical and mental health and one does not require any expensive equipment to practice it. We at Great Place to Work® founded our wellness practice with a vision of making India a healthy place to work and are committed to partnering with organizations to help them create workplace cultures that foster holistic wellbeing through our exclusive framework of Workplace Wellness Index©.”
She further adds, “The International Yoga Day, is a great opportunity for us to reinforce our commitment, and I would invite every leader across corporate India to be a part of this movement, and pause to check in on two things today: What will I do consistently for managing my personal wellbeing? And, have we incorporated employee wellbeing as an integral part of our business strategy?”
Let us go over how Yoga can help with the stressful lives that people working in corporate have and keep them in shape.
Enhanced energy
People in the corporate world are usually required to sit in one place for hours on end and keep working. This prevents them from engaging in physical activity and exhausts all of their mental energy by the end of the day. As hardworking and productive as it may sound, it has an impact on your health. Working for 7-8 hours per day reduces blood circulation, which causes stress and, as a result, fatigue and low energy. Physical activity, even if it is as simple as stretching for a few minutes, increases blood circulation and aids in the production of energy. Yoga, with its dynamic movements, increases blood flow throughout the body and aids in fatigue reduction.
Moreover, the best part is that some yoga moves are effortless, which you can do during your office hours and between work during breaks.
Helps in dealing with stress
The pressure to complete the work on deadlines, long hours of working and seldom occurring business trips undoubtedly lead to a lot of stress. “Stress is one of the major factors which negatively impacts personal life and affects efficiency at work. Many companies suffered huge monetary losses because of the negative effects of stress,” Abhishek Sharma, Founder, Health Veda Organics shares.
He believes that stress directly or indirectly leads to employee absenteeism, workplace accidents, turnover, and reduced productivity.
To combat this, Yoga is one of the best solutions. “Yoga helps in reducing cholesterol, the stress hormone. This is why practising yoga, even for a short time (15 minutes), can significantly contribute to reducing stress,” Sharma adds.
Improved posture
People working in corporations have to sit continuously for long hours. This causes back and neck pains, increases belly fat and leads to other problems that ruin their posture.
Back pain and neck pain are the main reasons people turn to Yoga. Yoga helps in relieving pain through stretches and various poses, which increase muscle strength. Yoga helps in increasing flexibility to prevent sickness and joint pains.
Increased focus
Stress and fatigue often lead to a lack of concentration at work which deteriorates the performance of employees and ultimately hampers the organisation’s growth. “Yoga and meditation help in clearing the mental clutter, eventually making people more focused, attentive, alert and productive,” says Kamayani Naresh, Health Expert, Zyropathy. Not only this, but Yoga also improves blood circulation in the brain, which helps in improving brain function.
Improved breathing
Yoga breathing exercises teach people to be aware of their breathing and to inhale and exhale deeply. Deep breathing exercises aid in increasing the aerobic capacity of the lungs as well as the amount of oxygen in the body. A healthy oxygen flow in the body makes a person feel more energetic and helps to prevent problems like nausea and fatigue.
So, if you work in the corporate world, you now understand the significance of incorporating Yoga into your daily routine. This allows you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. You may not be aware of it right now, but it will greatly benefit you in the long run.