Men\'s Health Malaysia - Jun 2017

20 JUNE 2017

BULLETINS

WORDS

MEGAN DITROLIO

PHOTOGRAPH

ISTOCKPHOTO

Pack Your

Lunch Hour

Powering through lunch makes you look

productive, but you end up tired and stressed.

So take a break and avoid these mistakes

You Speedily Eat Your Food

at Your Desk. Sitting all day has

been linked to heart disease,

diabetes, and premature death. Aim

for at least 30 minutes of moderate

activity five days a week. Lunchtime

is perfect for that!

The Fix: Take a walk. It’ll leave you

more productive, enthusiastic, and

relaxed, studies suggest. If you must

work, schedule walking meetings;

research shows that they fuel

creative thinking.

You’re Eating Poorly or Not

Enough. Skimping on lunch can

lead to overeating at night, and

grab-and-go meals can be

nutritionally lacking, so you

crash later on.

The Fix: Pack a healthy combo of

protein, carbs and fat for energy, says

dietitian Christopher Mohr, Ph.D. Roll

up leftover rotisserie chicken and

avocado in a whole wheat wrap;

munch on bell pepper and carrot

slices; and pack an apple too.

You Don’t Use the Break to Do

What You Like. If you’re not in the

mood to, say, join your colleagues

for lunch, then doing that won’t be as

relaxing as clocking alone time (and

vice versa), studies show. It may

actually fatigue you.

The Fix: Engaging in an activity you

enjoy will help alleviate work stress

and improve your well-being, research

shows. If that means escaping to your

car for some video games or social

media downtime, go for it.

You Miss Your Midday Workout.

You’re also missing out on the brain-

boosting benefits of increased

bloodflow, says trainer Craig

Ballantyne.

The Fix: A 15-minute circuit can be as

effective as a longer, more moderate

routine. Do this four times: prisoner-

style reverse lunges (30 seconds per

side); pause pushups (pause at the

bottom and top) for 1 minute; side

plank (30 seconds per side). Rest for

1 minute.