Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti).
Physical Activity
Physical Activity simply means any bodily movement required to produce and expend energy.
Being physically inactive causes adverse health implications and increases the risks of many illnesses including coronary heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and even certain types of cancers!
It is highly recommended, for an adult to exercise at least 4 times a week, for 20 to 30 minutes, per day.
However, most people still struggle to fit in any kind of physical activity. The most popular reasons I hear – too busy, hectic schedules, chasing deadlines and running errands in and out of work i.e. no time for exercise!
Being complacent to – one is not overweight or unfit hence does not require to be physically active, is also another excuse not to incorporate exercise into your life.
Most illnesses begin at the workplace. A slight backache, ignored and soon develops and causes major injuries to the spinal code.
The key is to obtain good knowledge on the importance of an active lifestyle and addressing the benefits of incorporating exercises in your everyday life.
This is where as an employer, you step in to promote the health benefits and importance of physical activity at your workplace. You can easily access this information pertaining to health and fitness at your local medical centers, libraries, and the internet.
You can start by encouraging your employees to practice these simple exercises at work:-
Leg Extension – While seated, grab the side of your chair for support and extend your legs straight so its parallel to the floor. Flex and point your toes 5 – 10 times. Relax and continue this repetition 3 times. This exercise works the legs and abs!
Chair Dip – Hold onto the edge of your chair with both hands whilst seated. Bend your knees, slowly slide off the chair and lower your body, with your arms supporting your body weight. Straighten your arms for a count of two and repeat 12 times. Works the triceps!
The Stair Master – Simply use the stairs instead of the lift. Try two steps at a time for a full body workout that strengthens, tones and sculpts your core muscles!
As an employer, it is your responsibility to acknowledge the risks of physical inactivity and bring awareness to your employees.
There are several ways you can engage your employees in physical activity:-
- Lead by example – be a role model that your employees want to follow
- Make being healthy and a fit lifestyle an essential job requirement
- Practice simple office workouts as above
- Invite your employees to participate in outdoor activities
- Perks of being active – free memberships for your employees at the local gym
- Allowances – Encourages cycle or walk to work with colleagues
- Encourage employees to take swimming lessons to strengthen and correct posture to enhance their physical activity
- Short distance jogging and/or power walking during lunch breaks
- Encourage employees to use stairs instead of the lift
Many leading business corporations in the UK, participate in fun activities together for their local and charity events to bring health awareness to the public.
This is another way you can encourage your employees to lead an active lifestyle. It also highly benefits both you and your employees in achieving:-
- A better public image – a great opportunity to play the role model to other companies
- Increase in productivity – being physically active helps de-stress and keeps the mind focussed which in turn allows room for innovative and creative ideas
- Less absenteeism – helps prevent industrial injuries and staff turnover as employees are healthier and less prone to fall ill and helps them to recover sooner
- Job satisfaction – working in a healthy environment contributes to happier staff and a positive working atmosphere, increasing self-esteem and confidence in completing their workload
- Profitability – all the above adds to the value of the organization as a whole, enabling to achieve company target through the workmanship of its now, healthier and fitter employees.
All it takes is a few minutes every day to be physically active, to make a huge difference that contributes to your health and wellbeing. And your body and mind will thank you for it!
DONT make excuses, Make TIME for Exercise!
Where there’s love, there’s heart.
A Lesson learnt from Dr.Maya Angelou.
Happy 90th Birthday to Dr. Maya Angelou. Such an inspiring woman. Extraordinary courage and a liberated spirit. An Epitome of Womanhood.
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty”. ~ Maya Angelou.
For I am your Muse.
When you life’s hard work take the most wonderful transition from words to a book that speaks your journey and points out the purpose of your sole being..
If there’s one word to describe that feeling…
A word is never enough.
I’ve read many books throughout my fair share owing to my years. Some brought joy and magic. Some taught me lessons I’d take in every walk of my life – the past, present and future.
Then there were books that inspired me to become part of literature. To become an Author. To write and rewrite. I’ve played the roles of each character and lived as so and so. I’ve fell in love with all of them. I’ve died many times. Re-birthed in many forms. I was the little details that one missed or ignored.
The women in literature had a huge impact on my life. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to write like them.
I’ve had jobs that help me pay my bills, buy pretty things and at the same time questioned if this was ever enough? You wake up each morning, get into office doing a 9 to 5 job, answer calls, reply to emails, laugh at silly jokes by your colleagues and have lunch which is always a poor choice and then you repeat it the next 4 days to come.
Then as if it was by chance or was it my time, I was given the opportunity to discover my talent as a Writer. Sitting in an empty apartment with my laptop being my only companion. I started writing and..
There it was. My muse. She said to me, write what you’ve never read before. Tell them the story different from all the fairy tales which ends with happily ever after..
Tell them a story that’ll make them wake up everyday and keep on living. Tell them the story that’ll keep them moving. Tell them your story. Don’t hide anything. Tell them everything, from your Adam to your Eve. The beginning of you and the fall of you. Tell them how you rose from your failure. Tell them about the others of the same fate as you.
Tell them so they’ll listen. Listen .. The way you listened to your heart and your soul. The walks with each step on fire and stone. The voices of the unscrupulous shuttering your existence and exploiting your innocence.
Tell them how you found the Courage that was lost. Hidden under fear, humiliation, insult, injury and scars that you wore behind your fake smile.
And then the will to live was greater than the force to surrender. You found yourself. You found the others. You walked with your head held high and you spoke to be heard and for them to listen.
You are not alone. You are Courage and you are Liberation!
And I am your muse.
So, I followed her advice and rewrote my story. This has been an incredible journey and I can’t wait to have you walk along my side. Laugh with me. Cry with me. Travel with me. Eat with me. Love with me. Anger with me. Read with me. Speak with me and I’ll tell you my story.
For the Echoes of the Past, the Writings in Present and for the Voices of our Future.
Happy International Womens Day.
Redefine Perceptions of the Untold.
Define your own sexy. Feeling good in your current body and appreciating every bumpy curve is extremely sexy!
Don’t let social media and judgements from the unscrupulous shutter your image of you.
I’m an Asian woman of Indian ethnicity. A picture of me like this showing my décolleté – skin below my neck, or cleavage is a sin. Because Asian women aren’t allowed to showcase their body although we’ve remarkably contributed to the growth of our population through childbirth and breastfeeding which involves coitus by the way and not a miracle baby courier service from the skies as the mythological stories written and told by our forefathers and foremothers. Lets get one thing clear – If it’s okay for you to peek and check us out, then it is most definitely okay as women we embrace our bodies and sexuality.
An Asian woman can’t post a picture of herself in a bikini but you will like and comment of the exact of a European or Caucasian woman. You’re a fan of KK and her many relationships but not if she’s your Indian neighbour who has had 2 boyfriends. JLo is hot and sizzling owning those curves wearing almost nothing on that stage.You wear a skirt revealing your knees, automatically you’re of low moral values because the clothes you’re wearing is ‘skimpy’ .
The hypocrisy has no end in our society.
This caption has no means to promote nudity, sex or pornography. Nor is it to provoke controversy.
It’s about Liberation And Respect.
Your Perception Of Me, Does Not Define Me!
Define Beauty, Stop Body Shaming!
Body shaming. A discrimination that many of us face at least once in our life time. Many of us don’t speak about it because we’re ashamed and afraid of our vulnerability. Instead we let it eat us throughout and slowly we lose self confidence and develop self doubt which leads to self loathing.
I was called fat and ugly. I was called a black indian smelly cunt. I was told I looked like a piece of shit that a man would only want to fuck and not marry. And that no good looking man would want to be seen walking next to someone with my body shape because it would mean he would be settling.
So I took a good look at myself in the mirror and this is what I saw.
I saw a woman. A woman who defined her self worth by her own worth. A woman who stood up for herself and footed her ground. She’s made sacrifices to be recognised and worked hard because this woman I saw in the mirror is a high achiever. This woman in the mirror was just not a dreamer but a fulfiller. This woman has aged like wine and she looked damn fine. Her brown skin was beautiful and that uneven skin added debt to her story. The grey hair shyly turned silver and now glorious just took her value even higher. It demanded respect! Her eyesight has never been sharper as it portrayed 37 years of history, art, science, geography, matriculation and technology. Her smile was sincere and forgiving because she’s seen the world, for it’s generosity and appreciated the abundance in acceptance of every living that walked on this earth. She’s well travelled and well read. She could recite Shakespeare and write beautifully. She’s courage and liberation. She’s different and unique.
This woman is Me. My body is mine and not yours for scrutiny. This woman you know nothing about is more than just her body shape, size, weight, colour, ethnicity and language. This woman was just getting started..and her story is written by her. None else! So screw you for your definition of beauty. I’m not ordinary.
If you’ve faced body shaming, racial abuse and discrimination. Voice out. You are not alone. Together we will make this world a better place.
Thank you, Universe.
I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes I ask why or what or who and I find my questions answered in ways that I might not be able to explain. Is the Universe actually listening to our vibrations and metaphorically speaking to us? I want to test this hypothesis and I have done it several times this year and I can finally rest my heart and mind. I can now accept the end of certain relationships and cut the umbilical cord and rid off of the toxic, negativity and accusations which I didn’t deserve because I’m ready for what’s next on offer for me. The beginning. A Liberation.
I am grateful for those who remain in my life, for those who came and departed after their lessons and excited for the new people who are to arrive. And bring the best out of me and trusting me by giving the opportunity to bring the best out of them.
Thank you for the coincidences of the introduction. That is of acknowledging the values of pausing, the power to listen, waiting in patience, a smile of a stranger, the conversation that lasted just in the period between your and my stop. Thank you for the coincidences of accidents that delayed my step, only to find my self.
Because when you are ready and grateful for all you have, the Universe rewards you with what you deserve and those who are worthy of you. The gone are to remain gone. Be grateful for the beautiful experience and move on.
