1.

A friend of mine who runs a successful business gives his staff and extra 30 minutes off at lunch time if they exercise. He says it's good business. Most staff come a bit early and leave a bit late, so it's not so much the time that's at issue, it's the fact that they're sharper after pumping some extras oxygen into their bodies.

I always think it's a reflection of bad personal management and bad management management when people spend their lunch hour at their desk.

Everyone needs to get up, stretch, go for a walk, shuffle, jog, swim, gym workout ... We're not designed to sit for large periods of time, particularly at a desk. As a culture we're drowning in see of motion starvation. You need to get fresh air into your body and stale air out!

2.

I reckon it's a good idea for people to take a 10 minute break during the day to do a few strength and flexibility exercises. 99% of people who have attended one of my CrookBack Clinics will willingly agree to do a few exercises. They know it's doing them good. They don't want to put up with pain and dysfunction.

3.

Another good idea is for people to take a 10 minute walk, down the stairs (providing it's not too far), around the building, back up the stairs, past the water fountain and back  to their desk. More oxygen in to the body, plus some water.

4.

One of the things that stressful work does is over-stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. It's the fight side of the nervous system. Adrenalin and cortisol pump, muscles (particularly around the neck and shoulders) tighten up, blood vessels constrict and without a flight program - the 10 minute walk or the exercise at lunch time - you can't wash the stress chemicals out of your body. Your blood pressure goes up, you get headaches, crook gut, sore shoulders ...

As well as the exercise, you can stimulate the para-sympathetic nervous system, the relaxation side of the nervous system. Holidays, meditation, yoga, tai chi,  reading, hobbies and fun have this effect.

In the workplace one of the things people can do it drift off to the 'recovery room' for ten minutes, slip on the headphones and listen to the MP3 relaxation program.

If you click on this link and turn up your speakers you'll be able to take a listen.

This MP3 file is now available for your staff, for a modest consideration. Ideally it's something you want everyone to listen to once a day. You can have it for a site fee, set it up on everyone's computers and watch them drift off with the fairies. There's a good chance your productivity will go up.

Probably the best way to introduce the program to your staff is to have me come for a couple of hours and present a couple of my seminars: -

Work/Life Balance

Relaxation and Better Sleep

Fewer Headaches, More Energy

I'll introduce them to the concept of meditation using the same words that are on the tape.

Click here to preview the relaxation tape.

For those who are poor sleepers I've got a Sleep Tape and for those who want to program themselves into a better future I've got the Getting Better and Better Tape.