lifestyle.

Many of us spend about half our waking hours or more at work each week for a good portion of our lives so, obviously, the things we do and don't do at work will impact our overall health and quality of life.

Read on for seven tips on being healthy in the workplace: If you spend most of your day sitting while working, be sure to take short, frequent breaks away from your desk to stand and stretch.

Be sure to sit with good posture (head held high, chin tucked, feet on the floor and sit back in your chair) to help avoid back problems.

On average, people spend almost a quarter of their workday standing on their feet.

Studies have calculated that, in a lifetime, most of us walk enough to have completely circled the globe four times.

Therefore, it is important to minimise foot pain by wearing proper-fitting shoes and avoiding weight gain.

If you work in a noisy environment, beware.

Prolonged exposure to noise above 90 decibels (lawn mowers, motorcycles) can cause temporary hearing loss; above 100 decibels (wood shop machinery) for more than 15 minutes can cause hearing damage; above 110 decibels (chain saws, rock concerts) may cause permanent hearing loss.

Wear ear plugs or earmuffs when working with loud machinery.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has stated that individuals may strain or tire their eyes by working long hours at a computer, but they probably won't damage their eyesight.

To help prevent computer-related eyestrain, take short, frequent breaks to rest your eyes and focus on distant objects for a few minutes.

Also, be sure to blink regularly when concentrating on the screen to avoid drying out the eyes.

If you spend a lot of time working with a computer, correct positioning is important.

To use a computer safely: position the mouse next to the keyboard so that you don't overextend your reach; grasp the mouse loosely and lightly and keep your wrist straight; take your hand off the mouse while reading the screen; relax your arms by your sides periodically; and stand up and walk away from the computer to stretch and change posture frequently.

Communication "overload'' can be very stressful.

If you work with or around lots of communications equipment, such as multiple phone lines, computer screens, pagers, cellular phones and fax machines, create a couple of hours of quiet time each day away from all these devices.

Stress can have a major detrimental effect on our health.

Stress causes the pulse to rise, the muscles to tense and the immune system to shut down.

Learn to control and cope with the amount of stress at work.

Avoid office gossip and people who are constantly negative, seek out someone who can provide encouragement when needed, set priorities and schedule your tasks.

Share a joke with a friend or take a brisk walk -- laughter and exercise are two of the best stress relievers.

And most importantly, remember that there is life outside work, so take a mental health day when you need it.

Be sure to do everything you can to turn your workplace into a healthy environment and use these tips to help you stay Body Wise.