Team Christmas lunches, tins of chocolate by the photocopier, mince pies in the kitchen… As we get closer to the festive season the workplace can be filled with temptation.

Here are our five top tips to help you stay (a little!) healthier whilst at work

1) Get some air and natural light
With shorter days it’s harder to get our dose of Vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin. Especially if you commute in the dark.  From early April to the end of September most of us get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight. But between October and March we don’t get enough*. So take your lunch break, get outside and go for a walk.

We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet which is important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. NHS website has information on how you can get more vitamin D into your diet.

2)  Drink plenty of water
Alcohol consumption may increase a little around this time and your next day headache is a sign you might be dehydrated! NHS guidelines advise about 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) of fluid every day.  TIP: It’s important not to sit all day, so rather than just keeping a litre bottle of water by your desk, use a glass that you physically get up and refill.

3)  Include some Festive Fitness to your workplace party celebrations! 
Why not do something different for your office Christmas activities and organise one of our workplace festive fitness classes! You could get your party started with our ‘Desk to Dance’ class or Rock your Asana (Power Ballads meets Yoga!) … or perhaps you might need to recover the morning after with a restorative Yoga session.

As well as burning off a few extra Christmas calories, it’s a great fun team building activity and will energise you in preparation for your office party (or recovery after).

Find out more about our festive workplace fitness classes 

4) Avoid the office germs
We’ve had a glorious long summer and the sudden drop in temperature means sniffs and sneezes around the office are rife. Try and reduce your risk of catching colds by; washing your hands regularly, staying warm (keep a spare jumper of cardigan in your bag) and avoid snotty tissues on your desk. If your colleague is sneezing next to you, ask nicely that they bin used tissues as quickly as possible!

5) Find your balance
Life is all about balance and the odd day of indulging yourself is not going to harm you. It’s a fun time of the year after all, and it’s no good for our wellbeing if we spend time stressing about how much we’ve eaten or feeling guilty. So don’t completely deny yourself Christmas treats. Make the most of this festive period and your relaxed office vibes.

Reference *NHS website – Vitamin D advice