To stay healthy, experts recommend maintaining a daily active lifestyle. Unfortunately, being active can be especially challenging for people with desk jobs. Staying at your computer all day on virtual meetings or reviewing documents encourages a sedentary lifestyle at home. Over time, your inactiveness shows up as weariness, stiffness, and weight gain, and in the long run, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Fortunately, there are several ways to combat inactivity, even as you work from home.
Stick to a Routine
Without the urgency to be at the office, it can be tempting to stay in bed. However, being at home is no excuse for skipping your routine. Wake up on time, shower, dress, and make your bed. Enjoy your breakfast, stretch and begin your work. It’s easier to stay active when you have a regular schedule.
Get Your Morning Coffee Outside
Working from home doesn’t mean that you can’t grab your favorite coffee cup outside. A brisk walk or run to your favorite cafe is an excellent opportunity to sneak in activity at the beginning of the day. You can also grab a coffee at the end of your morning jog. Morning workouts are an excellent way to stretch and get your blood flowing before settling in for work. After the exercise, your head will clear, and you’ll have better focus throughout the day.
Stand or Walk During Your Meetings
It’s time to start practicing your pacing, especially during meetings. Pacing helps you stay active within the house while focusing on your meeting. It’s also calming and enables you to stay alert, especially during long meetings. A simple change in scenery can help you maintain a free-flowing conversation and generate new ideas, especially when talking to clients. Walk around the house for around 15 minutes, take your rest, or continue if you please.
Stretch
Stretching is an excellent way to work on your flexibility and endurance. Regular stretching helps you avoid injury during intense workouts, reduces back and neck pain and helps you stay energized throughout the day. You can perform several stretches during work, including the warrior pose, crescent stretch, the seated twist, and the bridge stretch. Research more stretches and find those that are compatible with your workday.
Create an Office Challenge
It’s usually easier to stay active when you have group support. Encourage your co-workers to join in on the fun and challenge them to remain active during the day. You can track your activity levels on smartwatches and share them in group chats to encourage each other. You could also schedule video calls where you all stretch together and unwind.
Stay Active During Lunch
It’s tempting to grab a sandwich and drink, settle on your desk and keep working or catch up with a favorite show during lunch break. Shake off this temptation and get away from your desk. Take all the time allocated to your lunch break to enjoy your meal. Afterward, choose an activity to help you avoid the afternoon slump. Go outside for a walk or stretch in the house, turn the music up and dance or throw a few hoops before getting back to work.
Staying active during the day is vital to maintain your health. Join the YMCA of Southern Nevada for more activities and virtual workouts to help you stay fit as you work from home. Contact us today for more information.