Why It's So Hard to Be Healthy At Work

Cameras aren't allowed in my place of employment, so you'll just have to trust me on this.

Over the past two weeks, the following snacks were available to everyone in the office, many on more than one occasion:

Peppermint Bark
Black bottom cupcakes
Gourmet cupcakes (you know, flavors like banana and peanut butter cup)
Brownies
Blondies
Rice Krispy treats
Chic Fil A nuggets

Being a software developer for a living comes with the requirement* of sitting on your butt all day, which is unhealthy enough all by itself. To top it off, I have to put on earmuff-hands to mute the excited squeals of "CUPCAKES!" and keep my pinching fingers at the ready to dull fried food scents as they waft by.

Thank goodness this company pays for half of a monthly gym membership to help us all burn off our sugar highs.

Wait. I don't belong to a gym.

I'm training to run a marathon and the entry costs $95, but I don't need a gym for that. I enjoy speed work and strength training... outside. I like to take yoga classes, but don't pay for them on a monthly basis. So I don't even reap the same benefits that the monthly-fee gymrats do, and no one even checks whether they use their membership.

So my challenge to companies large and small: quit providing crappy snack food (no snacks at all would be an improvement) and do what you can to subsidize all forms of healthy activities.

*Not actually a requirement anymore since they have modern workstations that let you stand up or walk slowly as you type (but this implies working for a forward-thinking company). Also, many people in the tech industry can telecommute which may make it easier to take an afternoon walk or whip up a fresh snack.