Staying active while working from home

As we enter into what is very uncertain time with all that has taken place with the fallout from the Coronavirus and COVID-19. I wanted to take this time to address a new reality we find ourselves in with so many of now having to work from home. Even if you aren’t working from home but are still working at your office, I wanted to provide you some information that can be beneficial in either location.

First things first we need to know how we are impacted by what is taking place while we are working and take control of the things that we can control. In this case, it’s our general activity throughout the day.

Here are the facts, a lack of daily activity from working a sedentary job leads to digestive issues, back and hip problems, a decrease in energy levels, and a rise in stress levels just to name a few common issues associated with inactivity at work. We need to recognize and address the harsh reality that is staring us in the face. Which is, inactivity throughout the course of a workday and week puts us on the path of leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Luckily there are some things we can do while working from home or working in an office that can help get you back on track.

Let’s talk about some of the benefits that being active throughout the day can provide. Studies have shown that not only does your productivity rise with activity, but your mental focus is sharpened, you have improved time management, and also helps with those annoying post-lunch energy slumps.

You add that staying active throughout the days helps to decrease stress levels and helps to maintain an upbeat and positive attitude. There are many other benefits to staying active through the course of the workday but the ones just mentioned will without a doubt help you to be a more productive employee and have a healthier lifestyle.

Here are some tips for creating opportunities to stay active. When you are in a rut, bored, or frustrated get up from where you’re sitting stretch your arms, neck, and legs. You could also purchase a workout ball and use it in place of your desk chair. This will passively activate your core muscles and improve your posture. You can also walk around between calls or meetings.

Another strategy to getting out of your seat is to set a timer each hour to remind you that you need to get up and get active. Doing a workout during your lunch is also a great way to stay active. You don’t even need to go to the gym to accomplish this. You could do this by doing bodyweight squats, lunges, leg lifts while sitting in your chair, or walking the stairs. The other thing to make sure you’re doing daily is hydrating. You should be drinking ½ of your body weight in ounces of water daily. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water daily. I know drinking water for some gets old and boring, spruce it up by putting slices of fresh fruit in your water to add a little healthy flavor to it. Finally, get others involved with you. Encourage a friend(s) or coworker(s) to join in with you so you can establish accountability with one another to hold each other accountable. You can journal what you’ve done daily/weekly and then look to increase your output to push yourself. This has the potential to grow and turn into a small community where like-minded and motivated individuals can share resources, healthy eating recipes, foods, and most importantly victory reports. It all starts with knowing you have control over being active and then doing something about it. Hopefully, something in this blog has encouraged you or motivated you to become more active during your workday.