Healthy Habits for Surfing and Work
Cultivating healthy habits at work and in the surf can help you get the most out of work and play. Whilst establishing them can be a drag, working towards small changes everyday can build into significant change for the better over time.
Up and at ‘em
As we head into autumn and the mornings get darker it can be hard to get up and go for that early dawn surf. However, many health experts suggest exercise in the morning before taking a seat at your desk is not only good for your body (and your surf skills short bursts of high intensity exercise where the muscles function without oxygen) and aerobic activity (sustained low intensity exercise where the muscles function with oxygen a pro surfer fave) to help you stay balanced on your board. You might begin to find you can pull that move you couldn’t before or that your sessions are just more fun because you’re fitter.
At work, look for opportunities to train in complimentary disciplines that might inform what you do and enhance your skill set. If you work in marketing, could you take a course in writing or social media to broaden your horizons? If you’re a personal trainer, could you grab a certificate in massage to help your clients look after their sore muscles. Having a broad skill set and offering your employer or clients more bang for their buck is a great way to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Hydrate
If you google dehydration the statistics are pretty damning. Just being a tiny bit dehydrated can impact productivity, mood and healthy bodily functions significantly. According to the National Institute of Health, dehydration can contribute to fatigue, decreased kidney function, reduced heart and blood vessel function and irritability. It makes sense then to get your daily intake of clean water down your neck. Experts recommend at least 2 litres a day and bumping that up after exercise or during hot weather.
No effort is ever wasted
Although people have a lot of bad things to say about hindsight, we can also use it to our advantage. How many times have you looked back on a few bad situations and realised it was all leading to something great? If that’s ever happened to you, or even just to someone you know, then it’s not too far fetched to suggest that in fact these difficult times are just preparing us for something great.
If you’re having trouble at work, maybe you’re learning a key skill for a future dream job. If you had a bad surf session, inevitably you will have learnt about what not to do in future, ensuring you have an awesome session next time. If you’re in the middle of tough times as we speak, give yourself a break and remind yourself often that no effort is ever wasted.
We’d love to know about your healthy habits. What keeps you happy and healthy?