That’s Odd

workouts (38%), and taking mental health walks (31%).

Eighty-one percent of respondents said exercising puts them in a better mood, and 54% said they have made it a goal to exercise more with their family. Other motives for exercising included improved physical health (67%) and mental health (51%) and being a positive influence on their children’s lives (42%).

But 87% say common obstacles prevent them from being physically active. Among the most common obstacles are as joint pain and arthritis (42%), lack of motivation (39%), and injuries (30%).

The average American reported walking only 3,800 steps per day instead of the recommended 10,000.

In a statement, Rishi Mulgund, Brand Director, Pain Relief at GSK Consumer Healthcare, noted, “There are tons of ways you can get creative to get up and move. Movement is more than just a way to get physical activity in — it’s time spent with family.”

Nap Boxes

Need to snooze on the job? Some offices in Japan are installing “nap boxes” for employees who need to catch some zzz’s.

The nap boxes are pretty unconventional-looking. They resemble a sleek, tall cabinet. Inside, workers need to stand for their nap, but there are places to support workers’ heads, knees and backsides so that they will not fall over.

Offices in Japan are notorious for overworking their workers. These sleep stations are designed for white collar employees who are known for logging excruciatingly long hours.

Itoki communications director Saeko Kawashima is confident it offers a healthier solution for those wanting to take a quick nap during the day.

“In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while which I don’t think is healthy,” he told Bloomberg News. “It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location.”

Sleepiness on the job in Japan is so widespread that the country has the phrase “inemuri,” which refers to those who sleep during the day in order to get through a long commute or full workday.

Japan has some of the longest working hours in the world. One in four companies require employees to work more than 80 hours of overtime each month, which is often unpaid, according to a 2016 government study.

“I think a lot of Japanese people tend to work continuously with no breaks,” Kawashima said. “We are hoping that companies can use this as a more flexible approach to resting.”

Nothing sounds flexible about forcing workers to sleep standing up in a box.

Sign War

It’s a sign of the times when even billboards are throwing insults at each other.

Last week, employees at a McDonald’s in Missouri posted on their outdoor sign last week, “Hey DQ! Wanna have a sign war.” DQ refers to the Dairy Queen down the road.

Of course, the ice cream store needed to retaliate.

“We wld but were 2 busy makin icecream” read their post outside their store.

In response, McDonald’s employees tossed back, “That’s cute. Our icecream makes itself.”

“You mean it actually works,” the Dairy Queen responded, referring to McDonald’s machines constantly malfunctioning. “Shocker.”

Over the last several days, the two fast food restaurants have continued the across-the-street dialogue. And of course, other eateries had to join in on the fray.

Customers and locals are enjoying the roastings between the restaurants. They know that it’s all in good fun.

Red Rewards

It pays to be a redhead in the United Kingdom.

This week, due to soaring temperatures, redheads in the UK are being offered a special perk. A British movie theater chain is offering free tickets to people with red hair for two days amid a heat wave in the country.

Showcase Cinemas announced on its website and social media accounts that redheads can get free tickets to the movies of their choice on Monday and Tuesday as part of the chain’s “Sun Protecting Flicks,” or “SPF,” promotion.

“Experts say the UK is soon to witness its hottest EVER days on record and since redheads are often more vulnerable than most to the sun’s rays, we’re giving them shelter from the sun inside our fully air-conditioned cinema screens to catch the latest blockbusters for no cost at all,” the website states.

Lest you think red-haired viewers will be hogging all the seats, each redhead is eligible for one ticket per day during the promotion.

Let them paint the town red.

Gem Giant

An Indian jewelry company earned a Guinness World Record when it set a staggering 24,679 diamonds in a single ring back in May.

Guinness announced this week that SWA Diamonds earned the record for the large ring, which was dubbed “Ami,” Sanskit for “immortality.”

The design of the ring was based on the pink oyster mushroom.

“The mushroom represents immortality and longevity,” Abdul Gafur Anadiyan, managing director at SWA Diamonds, told Guinness World Records.

Ironically, the Indian retailer spe-

It took months for the company to create the ring. It first needed to create a 3D model of the ring. After that, diamonds were placed painstakingly by hand to achieve the desired effect.

The ring, which weighs in at about 12 ounces, was valued by SWA Diamonds at a whopping $95,243.

This ring really rocks.

Splitting the Pot

She won the lottery – and then gave it away.

Crystal Dunn of Louisville, Kentucky, won $146,351.74 after putting $20 into the Kentucky Lottery’s online game. In this game, players are given three chances to win a “progressive jackpot” through number matching.

Dunn became a lucky winner a few seconds after she made her wager.

“I saw that and didn’t believe it at first,” Dunn told the lottery board. “It’s a pretty exciting feeling.”

Dunn traveled to the headquarters of the Kentucky Lottery Corporation to collect her jackpot on July 8. After taxes, she received a check for $103,909.73.

She plans on using some of her money to buy a car and pay off some bills. But Dunn doesn’t want to use all that money for herself. Before going home, she stopped off at a supercenter and bought $2,000 worth of gift cards. She then proceeded to hand them out to lucky shoppers.

“A few were taken back, thinking I was wanting something in return,” Dunn said.

But, she said, “I got an [unexpected] gift and I believe in paying it forward and I wanted to pass it along.”

Money makes the world go round…