The career of a court reporter is not one that demands strength and athleticism so one can easily fall into the trap of living an over-sedentary lifestyle. Spending your day sitting in courtrooms and typing at a desk can deteriorate one’s health by causing poor blood circulation, poor posture, tight muscles, and other undesirable physical effects. Not only does the low degree of physical movement come with drawbacks but if you are not regimented, you might work endless hours and rely on a diet of convenient, low-nutrient food. In this article, we hope to convey some ways a court reporter can maintain their physical health and energy levels.
Whether you freelance or work for a firm, the work hours of a court reporter are demanding, and you are probably doing it all sitting at a desk. Physical movement is vital to mitigate the negative effects of excessive inactivity. If you find you do not exercise very often it behooves you to get into the habit of stretching all your muscles at least once per day and taking a walk whenever you can. This will ensure your leg and back muscles do not get too tight or weak from sitting so much which just leads to more overall discomfort. It is also advantageous to do some form of resistance-based exercising like weightlifting or static yoga poses to maintain your physical strength levels. This is also a great way to stimulate positive neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which will elevate your mood and make doing your job more pleasant.
As you can see, one of the main obstacles court reporters face in living a healthy life is the limitations they experience regarding time. A busy work routine and personal obligations can make it a challenge to not only exercise on a regular basis but to also prepare healthy meals. Fast food, microwavable dinners, and pastries can easily become a staple in someone’s diet when cooking is not convenient. Even though this is satisfying in the short term this could actually have the effect of diminishing your productivity because of lower energy levels from unhealthy food choices. Fatigue often occurs after consuming simple carbohydrates (foods with refined sugars, flour, and foods with added sugar) because our cells become less sensitive to energy input as blood-sugar levels rise. You can prevent this by replacing simple carbohydrates, with complex carbohydrates like flourless bread, quinoa, and chickpeas. Mind you, this won’t necessarily save you time but will in fact give you more time because you will have significantly more energy from making this little change in the choice of food you purchase or prepare.
This being said, eating clean and staying in good physical condition is a challenge for most professionals but not impossible. With the tips in this article, we hope to get you looking and feeling better so you can take your court reporting career to the next level.
Sources:
- Sass, Brian. “Brain Fog Part 2: Carbohydrates.” GreatLakesNeurology, GreatLakesNeurology, 3 Aug. 2021, https://www.greatlakesneurology.com/post/brain-fog-part-2-carbohydrates.
- “Simple Carbs vs. Complex Carbs: What’s the Difference?” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325171#:~:text=It%20makes%20more%20sense%20to,their%20natural%20fiber%20and%20nutrients.
- Raypole, Crystal. “Happy Hormones: What They Are and How to Boost Them.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 26 July 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/happy-hormone#sunlight.