By Allison Van Dusen
If you regularly load up on oatmeal for breakfast, eat salmon for dinner and jog using a heart rate monitor on the weekends, you probably think you're pretty heart smart.
But if during the work week you're stressed out, constantly hunched over your computer and eating erratically, experts say, you're not doing enough.
It's estimated that one in three American adults has one or more types of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's 2008 statistics. If you want to avoid becoming one of them or, worse, one of the nearly 2,400 Americans who die each day from cardiovascular disease, you've got to find ways to make your work life heart healthy, too.
If benefits such as weight loss and lower blood pressure don't motivate you, consider that a makeover of your work habits also could improve your performance.
Wachovia Bank employees who participated in an energy renewal program, which included a number of heart healthy habits, outdid a control group of colleagues' year-over-year performance, showing higher revenues on three kinds of loans over the first quarter of 2006, according to a 2007 Harvard Business Review report.
"It's not just about health," says Jolene Bodily, registered dietitian and wellness program coordinator for the Executive Program, a month-long course for managers on the rise, run by the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business. "There is such a connection between what is happening physically and how people perform."
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Even if they work desk jobs, Bodily tells executives they can still accumulate 20 to 30 minutes of activity during the day--without changing into gym clothes.
Even if they work desk jobs, Bodily tells executives they can still accumulate 20 to 30 minutes of activity during the day--without changing into gym clothes.
The work day is full of opportunities for short bursts of exercise. That could mean walking briskly between your car or the train and your office, or taking the stairs, instead of the elevator. Bring sneakers and take a 15-minute walk at lunch, or use resistance bands while you're on a long phone call. Anything you can do to get yourself moving will have an impact on your heart.
The same is true of stretching, says Stefan Aschan, owner and founder of Strength123, which provides nutrition and fitness programs both online and in New York City. By targeting the muscle groups, such as the hip flexors, chest and abdomen, that are shortened by sitting for long periods of time, you'll help prevent aches and pains. Some research also suggests you'll increase blood flow, which may help expand your arteries and keep them pliable.
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Once you've found ways to be more active, try tackling your diet. Eating heart healthy during the work week, when you're in need of quick, convenient sources of fuel, isn't easy. Dr. Dan Jones, president of the American Heart Association, recommends focusing on what you can add to your diet, such as five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, rather than what you need to remove.
"Think about it positively," he says, "rather than negatively."
Research has shown that each additional portion per day of fruits and vegetable you eat can cut your risk of heart disease by 4%. Jones typically loads up on them during lunch and skips meat, which gives him more freedom in terms of dinner options.
Stamp Out Stress
And while you'll never fully be able to eliminate stress from your job, you've got to get a better handle on it if you want to take care of your heart. Unmanaged stress has been linked with coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, among other health problems.
Dr. Aliya Browne, director of the New Jersey-based Hainesport Women’s Center, counsels executives facing stressful situations to put down the candy bar and try deep breathing to clear their heads. If that doesn't work, make sure you set aside at least a little bit of time for yourself during the day to relax.
If incorporating these kinds of habits into your day sounds impossible, try thinking about your heart health as you would any work-related challenge.
"How much energy did you bring toward your business to get it to the point it is now?" Aschan asks. "Why do you think your body is going to be any different?"
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