You'll learn actionable strategies to reduce stress, build healthier routines, and take control of your day. I share my journey of creating the innovative vidaBALL, a patented breathing tool designed to make stress relief accessible anytime, anywhere. Together, we explore how intentional breathing, simple daily practices, and mindfulness can elevate your mental and physical health.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life's challenges or unsure where to start in making positive change? We've learned that it's not about drastic overhauls—it's about small, consistent steps. Whether you're looking to reduce workplace stress, improve focus, or reconnect with yourself, this episode is packed with practical tips and inspirational insights to help you take that next step.

Get the full article here: https://goalsforyourlife.com/small-ch...
Learn more about Stacy at: https://StacyFritz.com or https://thevidaball.com 

In our conversation, we talked about the work that went into that invention, the grief that drove her, and all of the ways that she advocated to make it happen. She is one of my heroes, and you are going to love this conversation. You’re also going to want to get yourself a vidaBALL ASAP!  https://www.fit2order.com/thevidaball 

Youtube Link--->https://loom.ly/A-_rGUk
You can find Heather here-->https://loom.ly/AT8l_B8
And, here---> https://loom.ly/pRbaMbE

Listen to the interview HERE

Watch the interview HERE

 It can, however, be strengthened and supported with good nutrition and lifestyle habits like regularly exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress. 

Have a listen AND don't forget to grab the 3 workweek-friendly recipes for healthy eating to strength your immunity on our blog https://www.fit2order.com/media 

[Eat Well]

Generally speaking, nutrition basics are easy.

1.     Avoid processed foods.

2.     Eat a lot of different types of vegetables.

3.     Choose lean protein sources including legumes.

[Move More]

There is no magic exercise or piece of equipment. Move in a way that feels good and move frequently during your day.

1.     Exercise your heart (cardio).

2.     Exercise your muscles (strength).

3.     Take movement breaks if you sit too long.

[Stress Less]

Chronic stress is dangerous. Be aware of your levels of stress.

1.     Get enough sleep. 

2.     Unplug. 

3.     Establish mindful habits like meditation, breath work or prayer.

Know the basics. Eat to be and feel nourished. Choose movement that you love. And try to steer clear from hyped-up social media fitness folks who realize that complicated fitness sells.

COVID-19 has brought many challenges to both the fitness industry and fitness consumer alike. Before COVID, Americans largely associated exercise with a trip to the gym or studio, but the pandemic has forced many to sweat it out at home. As a result, digital workouts, have become the norm. In March 2020, the fitness industry saw a 147% increase in consumption of digital fitness purchases, while YouTube announced that since March 15, daily views of home workout videos saw a 515% uptick. 

Despite the innovative features offered by leading digital fitness brands (e.g., live-streamed classes, leaderboards and star trainers), the one piece of the fitness puzzle that continues to be missing is the energy and community of a live workout class. As such, alongside the rise in digital fitness has been the increase of outdoor fitness. A recent RunRepeat survey revealed that half of the respondents said outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and outdoor classes, will be their primary mode of exercise in 2021. 

Have a listen to learn more about the benefits of outdoor exercise....

 Some of the tips discussed are purely dietary (like cutting back on sugar), while others are more lifestyle-focused (like chewing food more slowly). By implementing a handful of these small, healthy habits, you’ll be on your way to healthfully shedding those unwanted pounds.

Did YOU know?

Your heart beats about 115,000 times a day; it pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day; it’s about the size of your fist; and it can continue beating even when it’s disconnected from the body.

[So, what are YOU doing to take care of your heart?]

Your heart is the powerhouse of your whole body. When you take care of your heart, your entire body benefits. When your heart is healthy, you function at your best.

Listen to learn a few tried and true heart-healthy habits AND a few that you might not be aware of...

Stacy Fritz shares the three trends that the panel determined would gain serious momentum throughout 2021 including how to support each of the trends with the tools and strategies needed for employees.

The 5,000 year-old practice of Yoga has established its relevance in today’s world. The Yoga Industry is an $11.5 Billion Industry, and Yoga practitioners have grown from 20 million to 36 million in just 4 years. The number of male Yogis has doubled, while the over 50 crowd who practices yoga has tripled. The simplicity of the practice (requires only some space and a mat) opens many venues--from health clubs to churches to parks to corporations. Yoga, with all of its mind/body benefits, has entered the American mainstream. Has it entered the doors of your organization?

[Trending: Yoga at Work]

The popularity of Worksite Yoga Classes follows these national trends, with onsite classes having doubled over the last several years (2). The increase of Yoga participants has led to the increased understanding of the many physical and emotional benefits of Yoga as well as a de-mystification of Yoga—it’s not a religion and it’s not about doing media-focused “pretzel” poses.

Nancy Wolfson from Yoga Journal explains that most corporate yoga classes are employee driven. She attributes the corporate yoga boom to employees requesting onsite classes. Employees know they’re stressed; they know their backs and wrists hurt; and they know yoga can help.

[Yoga, an antidote to work-related stress?]

With 61% of Americans citing their jobs as their major stressor, many employers are seeking ways to reduce workplace stress. Could the answer to the call be as simple as onsite yoga classes? A recent study analyzed 13 trials with over 1300 participants and found that employees who do yoga at work are less stressed than their peers. 

In fact, stress is cited as the top reason most people start a yoga practice. At HBO, Program Director, Bill Boyle, can’t keep pace with the yoga demands of the employees: “The deep breathing and relaxation employees get from yoga help them to be more focused and less anxious.”

[Yoga for Back Pain]

Yoga has proven to be effective in reducing and relieving back pain, including back pain associated with prolonged sitting. Additional research suggests that yoga may be as effective as physical therapy for generalized low back pain, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine (2017). In the study, people who attended weekly yoga sessions experienced improvements in pain and activity limitations that mirrored the results of those who attended physical therapy.

Have a listen......

Chances are you, your employees, or their families have been impacted by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be in full swing in just 2 short months.

It’s time to start planning your company’s pink initiative! And as you do, think about how you will get your employees involved to not only bring awareness to this all-too common disease, but to celebrate your breast cancer warriors, and to give to a cause in a manner indicative of your work culture.

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is more common after menopause, but younger women can develop it, as can men (though rare). The encouraging news is that breast cancer death rates have decreased by 39% since 1989. But breast cancer remains a significant health problem. As Florida surgeon John A.P. Rimmer explains, “Breast cancer is not a single disease. Some types are more aggressive than others. Cancer cells are nasty and sophisticated. The amount of knowledge we have is huge, but the cellular mechanism is hugely complex.”  In other words, we still have a long way to go to get to that cure.

[Bring Awareness to Your Employees]

Awareness efforts should include the basics on early detection: the importance of getting a mammogram and a discussion with your doctor regarding when and how frequently you should schedule your mammograms. In addition, awareness messaging should include the importance of understanding CONTROLLABLE risk factors like getting physical exercise (including workouts AND movement work breaks); eating a healthy diet that reduces inflammation in your body; and avoiding excessive alcohol use.

Have a listen...

We will be sharing 5 easy awareness-based activities for your company’s October Breast Cancer Awareness initiative.

The CDC calls it “Occupational Sitting.” The medical community calls it “Sitting Disease.” Others refer to “The Desk Sentence,” “The Desk Jockey,” and “Sitting is the New Smoking.” These terms have emerged from the growing body of research linking prolonged sitting to fatigue, weight gain, chronic illness, and early death.

[Maybe you should take a stand.]

The average person sits more than half his waking hours. Studies show that people who sit for extended periods are at increased risk for the following:

·     Heart Disease

·     Type 2 Diabetes

·     Certain Cancers (breast, colorectal)

·     Obesity

·     Back and Neck Pain

·     Disability

And the kicker? Even if you exercise regularly for one hour a day, it is not enough to undo the negative health of effects of a sedentary work-lifestyle. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in its “Workplace Solutions” publication, calls for the need for employers to reduce the “safety and health hazards” of occupational sitting. The NIOSH advises companies to implement policies, programs and strategies that address the hazards of prolonged sitting, suggesting standing stations, educational workshops, and work break strategies. 

[What’s an Occupational Sitter to do? Give yourself a break.]

The research on the health risks of being sedentary is not allbleak. Studies suggest that minimizing the health risks associated with prolonged sitting is simple: Sit less and move more In other words, take frequent, short breaks spread throughout your day. In addition to improved health, work breaks can also improve your productivity.

In our Puritanical society, taking breaks at work may seem counterintuitive to being productive, but experts disagree. MIT Sloan Executive Lecture Bob Pozen claims that working longer hours does not equate to increased productivity. Taking frequent and carefully planned breaks helps to improve your focus and your energy, not to mention your health.

So, if you’re looking for ways to rev up both your health AND your productivity, be mindful of the fact that hours worked is not equivalent to productivity gained. “We need to do away with time as a success metric,” says Pozen. 

[Not all work breaks are created equal.]

The type of breaks we take matter. Too often, we take breaks when we are already tired and stressed, so we reach for the caffeine or the high sugar snack to help us cope. These types of breaks actually make us feel more fatigued. The key to making work breaks effective is to plan them into your schedule ahead of time. Examples of effective work breaks include:

Movement Breaks

·      Walking breaks—even if it is one jaunt up and down the stairwell

·      Stretch breaks—consider what aches and pains need tending, perhaps a table top stretch for your chest and legs or a standing thumb stretch for the pain in your wrist.

·      Micro-workouts—keep an elastic fitness band in your desk drawer and do one 5-minute superset (e.g., Chest Presses and Deadlifts) every hour and get your workout in!

Stress Management Breaks

·      Mini-meditations—pull away from your computer screen, detach and breathe deeply.

·      Breathing techniques—to calm yourself, breath in slowly for a count of 4 and exhale slowly for a count of 6.

·      Setting goals—again, pull away from your computer screen and set a new personal goal, then spend a few minutes visualizing yourself having attained this goal.

For more information on the importance of taking purposeful work breaks or on FIT2order’s portal of work breaks, connect2FIT, contact us.

[Dead Butt Syndrome=What’s Happening Down There?]

When we sit too long, blood flow is restricted, nerves get irritated and, over time, our hip flexors tighten and our gluteal muscles lengthen. This doesn’t mean our butts are “dead;” it means they’re weak and not activating efficiently. It also means that other muscles have to work harder to compensate. Translation: in addition to a numb or possibly inflamed gluteal medius, you may also experience back, knee, ankle and foot pain. Symptoms can be mild and occasional or severe and long-lasting.

Several studies have shown that sitting for extended periods of time has a major impact on how well we use our glutes—even when we exercise. For example, after an 8-hour day of working at your desk, you hit the gym for your daily workout. When your glute muscles aren’t activated properly during your run or your deadlifts, your smaller muscles end up taking over and instead of sore and stronger glutes, the next day you have a sore lower back, quads and tight hamstrings. For glute-strengthening exercises to incorporate into your workouts, see the exercise sections below.

[Reviving “Dead Butt”]

The primary source of Dead Butt Syndrome is a sedentary lifestyle—this includes a sedentary work-lifestyle. If you’re sitting at your desk for hours most days, you are increasing your risk. Keeping yourself active and healthy is key for prevention. So, how do you do this during your otherwise sedentary work day?

[FIT Tips to GET UP AND MOVE!]

FIT Tip 1: As soon as you feel that “tingle,” GET UP AND MOVE. Those big muscles down there were designed for big movement—take a flight of stairs to deliver a message, do 20 squats in front of your desk, or take a brisk walk out to your car and back.

FIT Tip 2: For every hour of sitting, GET UP AND MOVE for 10 minutes to get the blood flowing. Set a timer on your phone and create the movement habit.

FIT Tip 3: Whether standing or sitting, do frequent “butt squeezes” throughout your day. Clinching and releasing your glutes can help fire up those glutes, especially when you are helplessly bound to that chair and cannot GET UP AND MOVE!

[Dead Butt Work Break Exercises]

Not afraid to perform micro-workouts at your desk? Circuit through these office-friendly moves to revive your back side!

1.     Glute Activation Squats. Stand with hands on sits bones and perform 15 butt squeezes. Next place hands on hips and squat, pressing glutes to the back wall. Pause 2 seconds, press the heels of both feet into the ground and squeeze glutes as you return to standing. Do 10-20 reps.

2.     Lateral Leg Lifts. Stand tall with hands on back of chair or desk for balance. Lift left leg off the ground and flex your left foot. Slowly extend your leg to the left. Pause for 2 seconds and return. Complete 10-20 reps each leg.

3.     Letter 4 Leg Lifts. Stand tall with hands on back of chair or desk for balance. Place the ankle bone of your left leg on the heel of your foot. Your knee will be bent. Keeping this letter 4 leg formation, press left heel to back wall. Complete 10-20 reps each leg.

[Dead Butt Exercises for Your Workout]

Add these 4 exercises to your workout routine to help rebuild and retrain those gluteal muscles. Remember, these are functional moves not intended for heavy weight.

1.     Hip Bridge Walks with Glute Activation. Lying on your back, bend your knees so that your heels are directly under them. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Keeping yo

[Can a Standing Desk Help with Weight Loss?]

The Research. A recent review of 46 studies found that employees who stood at their desks for 6 hours burned an extra 54 calories each day (2). In other words, if you can stand for 6 hours a day without increasing your calories, you can lose 5 pounds in a year. Additional evidence suggests standing desks may help with posture-related low back pain and may improve mood and energy.

Our 2 cents: While many may question the likelihood of most employees being able to stand more than 6 hours a day, we applaud all small behavioral changes towards health. Small changes can yield big results. Just as creeping weight gain adds up over the years, so can gradual weight loss. FYI—if standing 6 hours a day isn’t your thing, other ways to burn those 54 calories—take an 8-minute walk or eat half your apple!

[Can a Standing Desk Increase Productivity?]

The Research. There is no consensus on the connection between standing desks and productivity. More research is clearly needed as some reports say they increase productivity; some say they don’t; and some report mixed results. Regarding absenteeism, standing desks did not show a significant effect on reducing sick days (3).

Our 2 cents: Despite the uncertainty of current research, standing desks are worth considering for a different, but related reason. Perhaps a better well-being metric is employee morale. Standing desks give employees the option to stand, even for short bursts of time—an option that might just provide an energy boost when that 3 pm wall hits. They can provide a musculoskeletal break from sitting—a break that could relieve that aching low back or neck pain. Proponents of standing desks see them as an employee retention tool and an attraction for millennial employees. And they send a wellness message from the top.

[Final Thought]

Standing desks may not be the magic solution to counter all of the health risks associated with a sedentary work-lifestyle. However, they might make your workers happier, ease the pain of prolonged sitting and they might even prevent dead butt syndrome!  (Dead Butt Syndrome, also called gluteal amnesia, occurs when your gluteus medius gets inflamed and forgets to function normally. Can lead to hip, back and ankle pain.)

Sources:

1. Church, T. S. et al. Trends over 5 decades in U.S. occupation-related physical activity and their associations with obesity. Journal PLoS One (2011).

2. Saeidifard, F. et al. Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventative Cardiology (2018).

3. Shresth, N. Workplace interventions for reducing time spent sitting at work. Cochrane (2018)

With the recent publication of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Total Worker Health Report(2017) addressing the hazards of occupational sitting, the implications of prolonged sitting on your health  has become a real issue. 

Today you will learn:

• The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in sedentary occupations.
• How to identify Forward Head Deviation (computer posture) and learn the toll it takes on our bodies.
• Strategies to correct posture, including corrective work breaks (designed by corrective exercise specialists).

Why do we need to address this topic?

1. Sedentary occupations are impacting health
2. You are most likely in pain from your sedentary occupation.
3. If your company isn’t already addressing the hazards of occupational sitting, trust me    it is coming your way soon.

Baseball players are known for developing pain in their rotator cuff. Tennis players in their elbow. And Desk Jockeys… in their neck, back AND shoulders.  When we sit for long periods of time in poor posture, we develop what’s known as computer posture. AKA Tech Neck, Rounded Shoulders, Forward Head Deviation… And it’s taking a toll on our bodies. Forward head posture not only leads to chronic pain, it can cause numbness in the arms and hands, improper breathing, pinched nerves, fatigue, and headaches.

{Are you sitting tall yet? Chest lifted, shoulders back and down, belly in?}

It’s no wonder that 74% of office workers experience pain from sitting at their desk and 10% claim to be in pain for most of the day. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines prolonged sitting as an occupational hazard of sedentary occupations. It makes sense, then, that low back pain caused by a sedentary lifestyle both at home and at work now tops disability concerns, according to The Global Burden of Disease. 

[Here’s What Happens When You Slouch]

Our heads weigh a lot—as much as a bowling ball (about 10 pounds). When we sit in proper alignment, our bowling ball heads are stacked correctly with our ears over our shoulders, requiring no extra work for the rest of our bodies. But--when our heads jut forward (called Forward Head Deviation) towards our computer screens, our shoulders round and the muscles, bones and nerves in our neck and shoulders are taxed. In fact, for every inch our head leans forward, our backs feel an additional 10 pounds. So, that 10-pound head leaning 4 inches forward, now feels more like a 40 pound head. Over time, certain muscles become long and weak, while others shorten and become tight.

[How To Correct the Slouch]

Computer posture is preventable and there are simple strategies to infuse throughout your work day to reverse the slouch. 

1.    Ergonomics.

Here are the basics....

Eyes: The top of the monitor should be at your eye level.
Elbows and Knees: both should be at 90 degrees
Wrists should be straight OR below the elbow.
Feet should be flat on the floor.

For a more detailed ergonomic image, check out https://www.osha.gov/Publications/videoDisplay/videoDisplay.html

2.    Walking breaks.Our bodies were meant to move. Get up and walk around and as you do start to realign your body, standing tall with chest lifted, shoulders down.

3.    Corrective Work Breaks.When we are seated for the majority of the day, it’s not just our backside that weakens; all of our muscles become weak. So, when we try to stand, walk or move, our

Betty represents the quintessential seasoned Desk Jockey. Perhaps she is the receptionist or call center representative, or maybe she is the Executive VP of Human Resources. Whatever her title, Betty sits most hours of her work day and, aside from bathroom breaks, finds it difficult to peel away from her desk. Because of her sedentary work-lifestyle, like most desk jockeys, Betty has creeping weight gain and her latest blood work reveals that she is pre-diabetic. Her insurance company would call her a yellow light—someone who is in the moderate health risk category--and is quickly approaching the red light, or high-risk category. Red lighters are employees with one or more chronic condition. Their conditions dig deep not only into the employee’s pockets, but to those of the company’s. 

And the kicker, at least for FIT2order—Betty does NOT want to engage in onsite wellness activities. This is exactly why Betty makes a great metric for us. We know that if the Bettys—the yellow lights--of your company are participating, the elusive Behavior Change gets set into motion, or, as we like to call it, the Ripple of Effect of Change begins, elevating both Betty’s health and your work culture.

Listen to what we’ve learned about corporate wellness programs from Betty....