Whether you’re a busy executive or just work like one, impossible schedules and multiple demands on your time can push caring for yourself to the bottom of your to-do list. If you travel, it can be even more challenging to mind your health and nurture your emotional well-being.
Knowing that time and convenience are critical factors when it comes to being good to yourself, we’ve gathered a bevy of healthful resources you can access via the Web.
Butt out: Kicking the habit can be difficult, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a You Can Quit Smoking consumer guide (www.cdc.gov/tobac co/quit/canquit.htm). Acknowledging that, for some people, nicotine “can be as addictive as heroine or cocaine,” the guide provides a realistic approach to battling temptations and offers an extensive list of resources and options, including five FDA-approved medications. Don’t smoke? The site also presents statistics, data, and a number of downloadable documents pertaining to smoking. One is Making Your Workplace Smokefree—A Decision Maker’s Guide (www.cdc.gov/tobacco/re search_data/environ mental/etsguide.htm).
Get pampered: Sometimes what you really need is a little TLC. Spa Finder (www.spafinder.com) lists a full range of the world’s most luxurious spa resorts, which specialize in everything from yoga to weight loss to stress management. Listings range from the Givenchy Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California, to Sundance in Salt Lake City, but you can also find great local day spas, discount deals, packages, and articles on creating a spa environment.
Use free trainers: It may be difficult to schedule a personal training session at a time and place that fits neatly into your personal and professional timetable.
Free Trainers (www .freetrainers.com) makes it a little more convenient. This Website offers personalized fitness plans, nutrition programs, fitness articles, message boards, fitness calculators, and more. Featured workout programs include Gain Muscle Mass, Toning & Definition, and Freehand Home Training. Featured nutrition programs include Healthy Weight & Fat Loss and Gain Lean Muscle Mass. There’s even a Common Injury & Prevention Guide.Get bent—into shape: You may find all sorts of excuses, even legitimate ones, for why you can’t find time to exercise. Stretch Break (www.paratec.com/index.htm), however, is a site with a convenient cyberprogram that provides a workout you can do right at your desk, at intervals you set. Stretch Break reminds you to stretch and also demonstrates more than 24 stretches, such as Back Arch and Spread Wings, with computer generated, lifelike animations. You
control the sequence and frequency of the stretches, and you can delay a stretch for one to five minutes, or cancel the stretch. Stretch Break, which can be installed directly from its site, offers a free 10-day trial. You can own the program for $44.95, plus $4.00 for shipping and handling. It runs on Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, and XP, and is network compatible.Know what to do: It’s a mini health library online, addressing a wide range of concerns. Aetna InteliHealth (www.inteli health.com) provides specific health guidelines for men, women, senior citizens, and children and gives detailed information about a variety of diseases and conditions. The site, which is based on the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, has a Symptom Scout, which identifies possible medical conditions. There’s also a Workplace Health section, which includes First Aid answers.
Take charge: The Mayo Clinic Website (www.mayoclinic .com) makes available the expertise of more than 2,000 of the clinic’s doctors and scientists. One section provides health management programs to help you exercise more, quit smoking, and manage stress. A Personal Health Scorecard lets you keep track of your progress.
Take the soy patty: The Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) is a virtual cornucopia of vegetarian nutrition, news, and recipes. Plus it has information on vegan restaurants and travel, vegetarian business, leather alternatives, and a bulletin board where visitors can chat with others who pass on the flesh.
Get Plugged In: WebMD (www.webmd.com) offers live Web events, an interactive community, and WebMD University, where you can get a full education about a number of health concerns, complete with recommended reading.