Driving drowsy; stressed out about traffic, work and personal issues; heartburn, indigestion and headaches. Does any of this sound familiar (and I don’t mean from a Pepto-Bismol commercial)? Well, if you’re in the transportation industry it probably does. Whether you are a carrier, a broker, a freight forwarder, a manufacturer or really play a role in the transportation industry at all, you know how stressful it can be. Tums is like candy!
But truthfully the entire country depends on this industry for just about all of its goods. So what’s a person to do in order to combat the onslaught of the unfortunate side affects surrounding the added stress, lack of sleep, etc.?
Well, GLA wants to make sure you are staying current with some of the most up to date tips and solutions in the industry. We have compiled a few exercises and meditation techniques that should help you feel better on and off the road.
This week we want address a few easy stretching exercises to help keep you fresh, alert and more relaxed whether you are in the office or out on the road.
First off, let’s address one of the most important topics both on a off the road today; being overly drowsy. Working and especially driving drowsy is very dangerous and is a major contributor to loss of productivity as well as auto accidents in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration drowsy driving kills more than 1,550 people a year in the United States and causes 71,000 injuries. They also estimate that there are 100,000 sleep-related crashes each year across the country. So what can you do to help keep yourself alert and attentive? Here are a few exercises you can do while you are driving or while you sit at your desk to help revitalize your body and help stretch your muscles:
Stretch Exercise #1 - Shrug Your Shoulders
One of the easiest exercises that you can perform while driving or sitting at a desk is to shrug your shoulders. This may be a very simple exercise but it offers almost immediate results and helps ease your muscle pain. All you need to do here is inhale deeply and then shrug your shoulders up, towards your ears. Then you want to hold this position and drop after a few seconds. Repeat this a few times.
Stretch Exercise #2 - Wrist Stretch
This is an all around great exercise to do on the road or at the office. To perform this stretch you want to extend your arm in front of you with your palm up and then grab the fingers on your other hand. Gently pull hand down to stretch the forearm, and then repeat this with the other side.
Stretch Exercise #3 - Air Circles
This is another exercise that you can do right at your desk or in your cab. You want to start by clenching both of your fists, stretching your hands out straight in front of you. Then you want to make circles in the air with your hands, first in one direction and then in the other. Repeat this a few times. This helps to relieve the pain of your shoulder and neck muscles.
Stretch Exercise #4 - Torso Twist
The torso twist can be performed by inhaling and then exhaling as you turn to the right and grab the back of your chair with your right hand. Grab the arm of the chair with your left hand and then with your eyes level, you want to use your grasp on the chair to help you twist your torso around as far to the back of the room as possible. Continue until you feel a light pulling in your side, and just make sure that you do not push too hard because you do not want to sprain a muscle. **(This exercise is not recommended while you are operating a moving vehicle.)**
Stretch Exercise #5 - Chair Squat
If you have a few minutes at work, you may want to try the chair squat. To do this exercise you want to lift your butt off the seat periodically, and hold once you have lifted it up. Just make sure before you try this exercise that the chair is stable and you can also perform chair dips by placing your hands next to your hips, bending at the elbows, and lowering your body until you are at a 90ยบ angle. **(This exercise is not recommended while you are operating a moving vehicle.)**
Stretch Exercise #6 - Front Raise
Yet another exercise that you can perform at work is the front raise. To do this you want to start by sitting in your chair, with your abdominal muscles and spine straight. Hold a water bottle in your right hand and then raise your right arm up to shoulder level. You want to hold this for a couple of seconds and then repeat on the other side.
As always thanks for stopping by and keep 'em loaded!
Best,
GLA
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Relax....just breathe....
Relax….just breathe….
Continuing with our posts on reducing stress and increasing alertness, let’s talk about breathing. It’s something that we do pretty much do all the time; but is our breathing helping or hurt us? Now of course if we didn’t breathe it would really hurt, but I am not talking about that; I am talking about breathing to reduce stress, calm your nerves and help clear your head.
Nowadays it’s hard to find time to relax and really think about things. But honestly, relaxation doesn’t have to take long or be big a production. It can be accomplished by simply breathing. All it takes is 5-10 minutes once or twice a day and your complete concentration.
The Payback.
Taking some time once or twice a day to practice and eventually perfect proper breathing techniques will help in several ways. Here are just a few of the benefits: it will help lower your blood pressure, reduce headaches, aid your digestion, decrease your fatigue and increase your energy.
Still Skeptical?
It’s understandable to be a bit disbelieving when it comes to the benefits of deep breathing. For one many people are worried that it sounds too simple to really have a true positive effect. Others don’t feel as though they can make time in their already over-booked daily lives. And for some because of the perceived association with meditation and eastern religions, deep breathing has been seen as a path to “foreign ways”; which is not a path some want to walk down.
Deep breathing is however not a path to magical religions, it’s just a natural way to help reset your body, clear your mind and bring you into a more relaxed state of mind. It’s rational, healthy and best of all, free! Don’t worry, you won’t need to pose in some crazy position or chant a mystical chorus; unless or course you want to. You just need to sit or lie down and relax. If you mind is racing uncontrollably it might help to count each breath; inhale, exhale “one”; inhale, exhale “two” and so on continuing until five and then restarting. You know your mind has been wandering when you are all the sudden at 11 or 19. Counting your breaths is just a technique to help keep your mind from wandering to more distracting thoughts or worrisome concerns. You don’t want to make the time you spend deep breathing thinking about work, planning your weekend, agonizing over dinner plans or worrying about bills. You should relax and just focus on breathing…..
Deep Breathing Exercise Techniques to Try
To practice deep breathing, you will need five-ten minutes of uninterrupted time and a timer.
1. The first step is to give yourself permission to practice deep breathing, forgetting any ideas of multi-tasking. Promise yourself 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day, every day.
2. Turn off the cell phone, shut the office door (or go sit in your car) and make sure you can give your full attention to doing nothing. When was the last time you did that?
3. Get yourself in a comfortable position. You may be sitting or lying down: it doesn't matter.
4. Loosen tight clothes, and take off your shoes if they aren't comfortable.
5. Set your timer for 10 minutes (or 5 if you're just starting and fear that 10 minutes of sitting quietly may drive you mad. It won't, though, and you can work your way up to it gradually.)
6. Relax your body. Those muscles you usually suck in; let go of em. Let your face droop. Too many of us hold lots of tension in our jaws and foreheads; especially if you're prone to headaches, relaxing your face will be most helpful.
7. Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Usually, the chest rises when you breathe. In deep breathing, your stomach will rise. Feel your stomach rising and falling. If your mind is racing, count your breaths. Otherwise, just concentrate on your breathing. Usually, your mind will wander, so when it does, gently remind it that you are just breathing now and will think of other things later. Don't get mad at yourself, and don't give up after only a few tries.
And that's all there is to it. Try this exercise today and see if it makes you feel better…..I betcha it will!
As always thanks for stopping by and keep 'em loaded!
Best,
GLA
Continuing with our posts on reducing stress and increasing alertness, let’s talk about breathing. It’s something that we do pretty much do all the time; but is our breathing helping or hurt us? Now of course if we didn’t breathe it would really hurt, but I am not talking about that; I am talking about breathing to reduce stress, calm your nerves and help clear your head.
Nowadays it’s hard to find time to relax and really think about things. But honestly, relaxation doesn’t have to take long or be big a production. It can be accomplished by simply breathing. All it takes is 5-10 minutes once or twice a day and your complete concentration.
The Payback.
Taking some time once or twice a day to practice and eventually perfect proper breathing techniques will help in several ways. Here are just a few of the benefits: it will help lower your blood pressure, reduce headaches, aid your digestion, decrease your fatigue and increase your energy.
Still Skeptical?
It’s understandable to be a bit disbelieving when it comes to the benefits of deep breathing. For one many people are worried that it sounds too simple to really have a true positive effect. Others don’t feel as though they can make time in their already over-booked daily lives. And for some because of the perceived association with meditation and eastern religions, deep breathing has been seen as a path to “foreign ways”; which is not a path some want to walk down.
Deep breathing is however not a path to magical religions, it’s just a natural way to help reset your body, clear your mind and bring you into a more relaxed state of mind. It’s rational, healthy and best of all, free! Don’t worry, you won’t need to pose in some crazy position or chant a mystical chorus; unless or course you want to. You just need to sit or lie down and relax. If you mind is racing uncontrollably it might help to count each breath; inhale, exhale “one”; inhale, exhale “two” and so on continuing until five and then restarting. You know your mind has been wandering when you are all the sudden at 11 or 19. Counting your breaths is just a technique to help keep your mind from wandering to more distracting thoughts or worrisome concerns. You don’t want to make the time you spend deep breathing thinking about work, planning your weekend, agonizing over dinner plans or worrying about bills. You should relax and just focus on breathing…..
Deep Breathing Exercise Techniques to Try
To practice deep breathing, you will need five-ten minutes of uninterrupted time and a timer.
1. The first step is to give yourself permission to practice deep breathing, forgetting any ideas of multi-tasking. Promise yourself 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day, every day.
2. Turn off the cell phone, shut the office door (or go sit in your car) and make sure you can give your full attention to doing nothing. When was the last time you did that?
3. Get yourself in a comfortable position. You may be sitting or lying down: it doesn't matter.
4. Loosen tight clothes, and take off your shoes if they aren't comfortable.
5. Set your timer for 10 minutes (or 5 if you're just starting and fear that 10 minutes of sitting quietly may drive you mad. It won't, though, and you can work your way up to it gradually.)
6. Relax your body. Those muscles you usually suck in; let go of em. Let your face droop. Too many of us hold lots of tension in our jaws and foreheads; especially if you're prone to headaches, relaxing your face will be most helpful.
7. Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Usually, the chest rises when you breathe. In deep breathing, your stomach will rise. Feel your stomach rising and falling. If your mind is racing, count your breaths. Otherwise, just concentrate on your breathing. Usually, your mind will wander, so when it does, gently remind it that you are just breathing now and will think of other things later. Don't get mad at yourself, and don't give up after only a few tries.
And that's all there is to it. Try this exercise today and see if it makes you feel better…..I betcha it will!
As always thanks for stopping by and keep 'em loaded!
Best,
GLA
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