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Healthy bones; healthy body

Paula Moore, author of The Posture Doctor, says that while genetics may play a bit of a role in employee health, much more is down to lifestyle – and this is where employers can help.

Here, she has provided the following simple tips to prevent against musculoskeletal illnesses in the workforce:

  • Your posture is crucial to the health of your bones, especially when sitting at a desk all day. If your body is out of its symmetrical alignment then there is uneven pressure and stress on your joints. Why not teach employees the importance of posture?

  • Weight-bearing exercise is absolutely crucial to strong bones. Riding a bike and swimming are great for your heart but they are weightless so don’t help your bones as such. Fast-paced walking with good arm swing burns more calories than slow jogging and is weight bearing. A great excuse to introduce walking clubs.

  • In order to balance the acidity of a poor diet, bones leach calcium to balance your pH. Foods like strong cheese, wheat, meat, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, soda drinks and dairy weaken bones over time. For a healthy workforce, if you can, choose  more alkaline foods for the canteen, including more vegetables, almonds, apples, avocados and berries.