FACT: A Healthy Work Environment Leads To A Better Life
My one big passion in life is food
Any kind of food, as long as it is good food. When I say good food, I mean healthy, home-made food. Do you know why? Because I want to enjoy all the great food the world has to offer as long as possible. 🙂
However, even healthy food can be rich in calories. I want to eat all that great food, but feel healthy at the same time. Kind of a dilemma.
I started working at Runtastic and felt like the laziest person on earth
I had my first day at Runtastic in the middle of January. Every day, at least half of my Runtastic friends shared their runs, biking activities & sports activities on social media. After my first week, I felt so lazy so I decided to go out for a run. I had planned an easy 5k route, since I hadn’t ran for a while. I got lost and ended up running 8k & that’s how I found out I could run that far 🙂
“I am going to rock my bikini this summer”
Actually, I had no real intention of losing weight. Okay, I might have thought about losing a few pounds… but had never taken any action. After that run, I realized I needed to stop lying on the couch and get going. No complaints … “I am going to rock my bikini this summer!” I told myself 🙂
Happy, happy, happy and full of energy…
I now feel awesome, terrific, hilarious, marvelous! It’s as if the song “Happy” is playing in my mind all the time 🙂
This is how I live now, and this is what makes me feel good
No sleepless nights & the cravings for night-time snacks are gone. Nowadays, I NEVER leave home without having breakfast. For lunch, I avoid fatty take-away food because it makes me sleepy and increases my tendency to make “bad” food choices later during the day. Here at Runtastic headquaters, we have a microwave, chopping boards & knives. So I can bring and re-heat my home-made, low-fat, healthy lunch or prepare a fresh and healthy salad. No more sandwiches! Hoorray!
In our office we have fruit and nuts to munch on (special thanks to Ursula & our founders) which keeps me away from candies and chocolate. The only challenge are the birthday cakes people bring along. But, occasional small treats are okay and approved by Vera, our dietitian. 🙂
I also started drinking more water ever since I became a Runtastic. At first, my co-worker Michaela offered to remind me to drink more during the day, and now I finally manage to remember myself. Thanks, Mik!
Working in a healthy work environment really leads to a better life! It’s amazing how much the people around you influence you.
I am Turkish and I am used to…
… cooking big portions, especially carbohydrates. We cook rice in a rather fatty way & that is one of the big changes I made. In our culture, dinner is traditionally the time of day when a family gathers. We have BIG dinners. I love it, but I try not to eat such filling & substantial dinners anymore. Now I go for lean protein, like grilled chicken breast, fish, cottage cheese, or legumes like lentils & beans, and have a huge salad to fill my stomach. Plus, I try to only eat and drink natural products and consume as little sugar and salt as possible. Oh, and I love yoghurt! It’s a must-have for me every day and it’s my little beauty secret, as it’s good for your skin.
Walking is not my thing
I like to run! I run and lift weights around four times a week. For transportation, I ride my bike every chance I get. Usually, I do outdoor sports because spending time surrounded by nature is a source of happiness itself… And, I’ve even gotten my friends involved. We are planning our sports dates via a Facebook group. They are really thankful, too.
Merve and her running group
“Monkey see, monkey do”
Let me sum it up: Your environment is key to a healthy lifestyle. My mother always told me to pick my friends wisely. I am definitely going to teach my kids to also pick their workplace wisely.
My personal tips for you to get started:
1) BE THE MOTIVATOR:
Don’t wait for for someone or something to motivate you. Ask some friends to join you. Create a Facebook group and announce regular activities.
2) OPT FOR HOME-MADE FOOD:
Ask your employer to provide a microwave, chopping boards and knives. It WILL make a difference. Healthy, home-made food is simply the best.
3) #EATCLEAN:
Read the labels. You don’t want all those preservatives, salt and sugar in your body. Be mindful of ingredients in your food and beverages.
Merve is a Turkish translator at Runtastic. She comes from Ankara, Turkey, and is dividing her time between Vienna and Linz now. She is currently doing her Master’s degree on Economics at the University of Vienna. Her dream is to become a chef one day…
