The HEALTH : May 2019 | Page 3

may, 2019 | Th e HealtH Opinion Exercising in the workplace clients better. We know that as of now, insurance coverage in general does not include the treatment for mental illness. Th at opens up the responsibility for us support these individuals in any way we can. Stop implying to any family members, friends, or colleagues that their mental health issues are something they can simply get over with. Stop looking at the mentally challenged as if they are damaged and a nuisance. And stop disregarding your employees’ state of mental health when they show clear signs of overworking and burnout. Th e key to helping them is to help them, not to stigmatise them. Be the person they can rely on, and help save a life or two in the process. Lastly, to the ones currently facing problems in mental health. Help is actually everywhere. You just need to know where to look. Happy Ramadan, and Assalamualaikum. Th e corporate yoga alternative I Editor Norman Hussaini Diff erent Strokes BY adi satria  24-25 ageing and fertility • Our fertility’s expiry date • The woes of delaying 25 Home versus gym workout 26 are your sunglasses providing enough UV protection? Is working out at home so different from working out at the gym? We all know that sunscreen helps protect our skin from UV rays. But what about our eyes, is slapping on a pair of sunglasses really do the trick? 27 Why health education is important Kevin Zahri’s fi ve year plan involves tackling the root of the issue – Malaysia’s current fi tness education in schools 28 I scream for healthier ice cream 29 Sticking to a kidney friendly diet • Two guys wanted to have healthier ice cream, now they have Calli Don’t let your eating habits eat into your health • Deadly products which can harm your kidney 30-31 Nana al Haleq: empowering the world through fi tness There’s no doubt about it, strong is the new sexy 03 the benefi t of Corporate yoga allows employees to learn how to manage stress and anxiety. More importantly it brings employees together as a team thereby boosting morale at the workplace. REMEMBER decades back in my first 10 years working in an advertising agency, the opening of fitness clubs was the trend then. One of them was within our office build- ing and we became the early members of the club. It had all the basic workout equipment but the main attraction was the spa and almost every evening we took a couple of hours break to work out and enjoy the facilities. We even had fit- ness instructors who also advised us on nutrition. We felt energized and some of us went back to the office to continue finishing whatever assign- ments to meet our deadlines. However, this activity soon became unsustainable, mainly due to the need to go to the gym (weak excuse) and most of us dropped out. Healthy employees lead to healthy business. Besides physical health, mental health is the main challenge of the corporate world. Focus and mind- fulness are of utmost importance at the workplace. As time and distance to a gym can be a demo- tivating factor, more and more companies around the world are adopting the Idea of bringing yoga to the work place. The benefit of Corporate Yoga allows employees to learn how to manage stress and anxiety. More importantly it brings employees together as a team thereby boosting morale at the workplace. Through guided visualization in a yoga session, employees not only learn learn to concentrate but also to relax. Regular practice will result in employees developing a more positive attitude and communicate better, boosting confidence. One of the most common health issues is back pain. With hours on the PC it also affects one’s eyesight. Yoga not only focus on the body parts but also on the eyes and special exercises done in a routine yoga session will help to relieve the strain on the eyes besides strengthening the joints and all other body parts. It has been proven that by just practicing yoga with a minimum of an hour a week can help decrease back pain. Studies in the UK shows that 46 percent of absenteeism from work is due to mental health issues such as stress, depression and anxiety. This is also true in Malaysia and this affects company productivity. I suppose the key benefit of having yoga in the workplace is that there is no equipment needed. Just a clean space to hold a class, some rubber mats which can also be a personal item, and a good instructor from a reputable yoga academy such as the MAYI Yoga Academy. In the long run, the cost of having a weekly yoga session in the company premises will be much lower as the prevention of illnesses, burnouts, hostility between colleagues, depression and other work related health issues can save the company from exorbitant medical bills. Yoga also teaches one to consume the right nutrition which also prevents non communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure, the major killer in Malaysia today. It is time companies put a little more focus on the health and mental wellbeing of its employees. Corporate Yoga is indeed the answer to a better and more productive work environment. If you would like to know more please email to [email protected] — The Health ADI SATRIA, a veteran in marketing communications went through a stressful career path in his early days until he discovered the benefits of exercise and yoga was one of them. He wished that Corporate Yoga was available during his career as a director in a major media company.