The Bonus Payout of Manual Labor

As warnings continue to come out about sedentary lifestyles, we should all be looking for ways to increase movement in our daily life. Setting still for extended periods, toxins we breathe, not sweating much (sweat is a toxin pathway out of the body), lack of nutritious fiber loaded foods, can lead to a toxin filled body, that also can start sprouting chronic diseases. Last but not least, mental stress, when not combined with its healthy counterpart, which is physical stress, can have very toxic effects in the body. Mental stress needs physical stress to relieve itself!

Inactivity is linked to most chronic disease, (heart disease, cancer, diabetes) and oftentimes, it’s partner in crimes against the body (obesity). If we can counter chronic disease by getting more active, doesn’t this include physical work at our job as well and squeezing in extra movements whenever we can?

When I hear of a company that pays their employees for their gym time, I automatically think “smart company” and it is obvious that it makes the employee feel really good that their company cares about their health and fitness! A company allowing an employee to go to the gym while on the clock, to exercise, improve health, fitness, shape while getting paid, sounds pretty good to most people that care about their health! 

However, if we have a physically exhausting job, carpentry, plumbing, fabrication, waitressing, janitorial and other manual labor jobs, we oftentimes tend to look at it differently than when we exercise in a gym or have paid exercise time from our employer. It’s not so different, especially if you can work fast enough to get your heart rate up for an extended period and can go through a variety of movements, such as lifting, pulling, pushing, squatting, and walking.

There are many health benefits in a job that requires physical output, and this physical activity can have great immediate and long-term benefits.

Here are a few: increased muscle mass and tone, increased cardio endurance, better cardiopulmonary circulation, increased bone density, better detoxification and regular bowel movements, physical fatigue from activity or exercise relieves mental stress, lower body fat and last but not least, you get a workout while making money! 

How to get a workout on the job: when you see a stretch of work that might last 20 minutes or longer, increase the speed that you do it to get your heart rate up, (this helps burn body fat and build cardio endurance). If you want to build muscle density, increase the load or speed of movement.

If you have a desk job: stand up and move around whenever you get a chance. You can do some rapid squat thrusts, jumping jacks, or pushups whenever you take a restroom break, (if you take 5-10 breaks, this will add up). If you do an exercise that activates most of your muscles, you can do a lot in one minute of rapid, intense exercise. 

When we look at the health benefits of a body that keeps in motion and realize that health will be tomorrow’s currency, our appreciation can grow for a job (or daily activities) that keep us on the move and can make us feel like we’re accomplishing two things at one time! After all, it’s pretty neat if you can work and make a paycheck from your employer while getting exercise at the same time! And since good health later in life can save you a lot of money, in a way it is like banking an extra payout!      

“They give you cash which is as good as money” – Yogi Berra

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