ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > June > 25 > Entry
Are you physically fit to do your job?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some jobs require you to be in great physical condition or you can’t perform the essential functions of the job. Office jobs are not as strenuous as jobs that involve heavy lifting or a lot of physical exertion.
For office work, the majority of the muscles used are in your back and stomach, which help you sit properly, or your hands and arms, which allows you to write type and shuffle papers.
The question I have is, “should you be physically fit in your office job?” This is what we know:
- Obesity is on the rise.
- A few extra pounds can make you feel tired all of the time.
- Weight can restrict your mobility.
- Fat increases the risk for heart disease.
- Extra fat increases the chance for high cholesterol, diabetes and strokes
In order to combat these unhealthy problems, it’s important to improve your lifestyle to reduce there health risks and stress.
Boosting physical activity will:
- Increase the amount of blood flowing to the brain, making you more alert and able to concentrate for longer periods of time.
- Exercising increases endorphins, which make you feel better about yourself.
- Exercise also gives you more energy and helps your body regulate fat intake.
Above all else, it’s more important to be comfortable with your body, as it is. A healthier attitude about yourself can do wonders for your mind, body and soul.
Whether you are gripping a power jack or an ink pen; try to be in the best possible shape for your body type. It will enhance your outlook on your job and most likely make you more productive.
Are you in good shape or is your physique hindering your job performance?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By jct
June 25, 2007 8:46 AM | Link to this
Thank you for the chuckle. My stomach mussels (muscles) got a great workout from the laugh.
By Cerisse
June 25, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
I think I am in pretty good shape generally, even though I am stuck in an office for 10 hours a day. The way, I try to keep fit and alert during the day is by always taking the stairs and going for walks. The fresh air and brisk pace does me wonders! I also snack on fruit and pretzels and drink a lot of herbal tea and water to fuel my body.
By Jon
June 25, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this
This is just another attempt at society to beat down “the fatties” You CAN be healthy and be overweight. You can’t be obese, but you can be overweight. Please stop trying to make every single person feel guilty for being overweight, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
By landsaf
June 25, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
I’ve always been in pretty good shape, even the time I let myself get overweight, I was still in ok shape. N wI’ve lost weight, maintained the loss and have good muscle mass. You should see how many people would consider me “chunky”. Yeah I like my weight. I look better than being crack wh*re thin.
By lovelyliz
June 25, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
When I was in the Navy and a member of the chub club, barely, I could run circles around those other women who could barely get their pseudo anorexic bodies across the finish line. (The stories I could tell you about their push ups) That didn’t keep them from getting all sorts of kudos.
By Mr Big
June 25, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this
I’d hire a thin smoker over a fatty any day. They may take more breaks, but they won’t be hovering around the snack room or eating at their desk constantly. Fat is mental as well as physical - ever notice that those with the most cluttered desk are also overweight?
By Job30339
June 25, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this
Listen Mr. Big not all overweight people eat all day. Some are fat because they have a medical condition which causes them to gain weight. Some overweight workers are very productive and take pride in their work. Yes, you will have few who are lazy and want nothing out of life but I seen a lot of those working the front door at wal-mart. Don’t beat up the fat community. There are some people who try really hard to lose weight but can’t. I am fat and I am a top worker. The only break I take is a lunch break and that is only 30mins to an hour. The smokers take breaks every 10 mins. So Mr. Big before you jump down on someone’s case for being fat take a step back and think that one you could be fat and being fat is a lot easier than just being a jackass. Atleast I can lose weight can you lose your personality??
By Shapely
June 25, 2007 2:53 PM | Link to this
Interesting to see all the “don’t beat up on the fatties” comments. If you’re fat, you know it. Don’t kill the messenger, just realize you have a problem and fix it before it fixes you. If you’re happy with your size there’s no reason to defend yourself. Hmm?
By It's about the Money
June 25, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this
Obesity runs up the cost of health care by astronomical sums. It’s also seems to be both an inherited and a learned trait so that 1 fat worker you hire probably has a even fatter spouse and numerous little butterballs running around making health care claims and taking multiple prescriptions a day for obesity related diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s these related diseases that cost tens or hundreds of thousands to treat thereby running up the cost health care for all the other employees and costing the company too. It’s cheaper to hire 2 young thin half wits producing ½ as much as 1 smart organized fatty with a hoard of dependents making health claims every week. Do fool yourself, that fat will kill you years before your time. This generation is first ever in the US that won’t live as long as thier parents and it’s because thier fat.
By atlborn79
June 25, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this
As someone who works health care, I can say that the VAST majority of overweight people are that way because of lack of willpower and self-discipline. The ones I deal with have the worst diets and the least amount of physical activity. Anyone who denies this is contributing to the problem. Sure there may be a few exceptions, but in the majority of the cases, it’s strictly the fault of that particular individual.
By Shapely
June 25, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
I’ve had a theory for ages that television will eventually be the major downfall of the USA. My points:
The TV dinner came right after the invention of the TV. They are horribly bad for you (with the exception of Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Amy’s, and a few others).
People watch more and more television on a daily basis as the years go by thereby reducing the amount of time spent doing physical activity.
All the waifs prancing across the TV hasn’t had the effect you’d think. Instead of trying to achieve a healthy weight and look, people have gotten depressed over the fact that they can’t achieve that look and have turned to TV dinners and snacks to soothe their sadness.
We are constantly bombarded with commercials for more and more stuff and have become the greediest lot imaginable, thereby making us think we need all this stuff to be happy. We can’t afford it, we get sad again, we eat more.
-Obviously video games have come along and keep our kids occupied and sedentary…i.e. fat.
So I think employers should strive to hire more people that don’t watch a lot of television. Look for folks with physical activity listed as hobbies.
By GRACE
June 25, 2007 5:09 PM | Link to this
Fat people kill me with their excuses. The fat people in my office are out sick more & a lot longer. Then when they do come to work they are doped up all day on pain medicine for the bad knees or bad back. I cannot imagine carrying around 100 extra pounds and then trying to convince my coworkers that I am just as heathy and energetic. What about what you are doing to your heart. The years you are taking off your life. In about 10yrs funeral homes will start using machines to carry the casket into the church unstead of people. They have already started building bigger caskets.
By vegan and big
June 26, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this
I am a healthy, producticve employee and I am not thin. Those of you holier-than-thou types, please tell me what is causing me to be fat: the fact that I am a vegan or the fact that I racewalk 2-3 miles every day. Not all of us are lazy. It is a complicated diesease, one that doctors still refuse to take seriously. It’s a pity that this is the last bastion of acceptable prejudice in our society. Get the 2x4 out of your eye before you criticize the splinter in mine.
By Fortunate
June 26, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this
There are at least two of my close family members who have a metabolic condition that causes them to have low energy and a constant weight problem. I’ve seen them eat on a regular basis and I know that I eat more than either of them, yet I don’t have a weight problem as long as I eat normally. Plus, I have plenty of energy. So should I be smug about not being overweight? I don’t think so - I’m just more fortunate in that aspect than many others.
By Perfect
June 26, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this
I am giving everyone in my office six months to get back to their birth weight or risk losing their jobs. And to Mr. Big, someone reported that they saw you in the shower at your health club and you should return the name Mr. Big to its righful owner and stop by the front desk and pick up the name rightfully assigned to you, Mr. Infntdik. Have a nice day, all.
By charliejoe
June 26, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this
I will assume that it is more difficult for some people to stay a healthy weight and/or to lose weight, but it is indeed not impossible. It might be likened to the difficulty of someone with an “addictive personality” to not smoke, drink or do drugs. You are predisposed to do so, and you have to fight harder not to, and yet the general public still wants you arrested or ostracized if your problem at all affects them, or even if it only indirectly affects them (drug (ab)use often doesn’t affect anyone else, but is illegal al the time.) One must be aware that people don’t care if your problem is from an underlying condition, either mental or physical, they just don’t want to be inconvenienced by you. Because people are oftentimes selfish a**holes :0 Welcome to Earth!
By Michele
June 26, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this
Two years ago I was a size 14, exercised rarely, and was dealing with persistant heartburn and lack of energy. Something “clicked” in me and I have no idea what it was, maybe I was tired of making excuses?
I pulled myself out of bed an hour early six mornings a week, hopped on a $100 stationary recumbent bike, and pedalled for 40 minutes while watching TV. I watched what I ate, cut things like calamari and frozen custard from my diet, and the weight melted off.
Now I am a size 4 (yes, 4- it’s okay to be jealous) I have tons of energy, no heartburn, I have dumped the bike and moved onto jogging and yoga. I have never been happier with myself. I feel I can do anything. Oh yeah, last year I snagged a promotion and my own office. Coincidence?
By Tim Phillips
June 29, 2007 8:20 AM | Link to this
I’m still in the process of dropping weight myself, and was not terribly overweight for my height, but did have a lot of belly fat. I started the South Beach diet two weeks ago and have lost 20 pounds and nearly two pants sizes. The first two weeks were hell because I don’t like grazing…I ate only what I wanted to and stepped away - but I NEVER went hungry. I would grab a skim mozzerella stick, etc. and be fine.
What it has done for me is teach me to eat healthy yet have what I want when I want it. Now in Phase 2 the meals are better…yet I lost a pound the other day and have maintained my weight over the last 8 days….that with lunch being a Jr. Cheeseburger from Wendy’s dollar menu (sans bun) and a Frosty Float! That 20 pounds off feels great - I look better and YES I am sleeping better too. Those of you who say you cannot lose the weight, that are overweight from eating, are simply not trying to lose it.
By Just tone
June 29, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
Hey Tim, belly fat is something i am working at getting rid of as well. But the difference maker in the success of it, is that you are male (faster result with this losing weight) and i am female (& have birthed a child) which i will have to work harder. So, where you will be able to lose that ‘belly fat’ quicker than i. I will have to be more aware of what foods/drinks i take into my body and the type of excercise that i do to help get the fat from around my mid. It is harder for females when it comes to quck weight lost results, but it is not impossible!! My motivation. Here at the office i am considered one of the smaller women (wear size 6 comfortably). But none of my coworkers know how easy it is to make that lifesyle change and ‘get the wieght off”. They allways make comment about me and my eating/drinking healthier choices but i never see any of them step back make the change and chose to be healthier and fit. It amazes me how people are inspired by things but decide not to try it & see how it works for the better. N-E-way, I hope soon there will be more healtheir & actively fit co-workers i can count on for support when i need to stay focus and not eat the wrong things.