Working from home is a dream come true for many. Never before had your average Joe enjoyed so much work-related freedom without being a freelancer. Although opinions on telework may be divided, you can’t deny that it’s a revolutionary concept.
One of the more concerning problems, however, is trying to stay fit. Working from home, while often relaxing and enjoyable for the mind, can be quite taxing for the body. After all, you drop even the last, meager vestiges of motion like climbing the stairs to your office or entering and leaving your car and spend several hours not moving at all instead. Couple that with the fact that often the device you telework from doubles as an entertainment system, and you may be looking at an entire day of doing nothing but sitting in a chair.
Fortunately, there are many ways, all of them both healthy and fun, to mitigate that. Below you’ll find helpful tips to stay fit while teleworking, including consuming a balanced diet, sticking to regular exercise, and even using a standing desk. Read the suggestions below and discover how remote work doesn’t have to be the bane of your body.
Make Time for Exercise (Even if You Don’t Feel Like It)
Working from home is perfect for those who don’t feel like going out or covering large distances every day. After all, why go outside and exercise if your room is so enthrallingly comfy?
So how do we make sure we stay in shape while in that mindset? There are several ways to do so, all of which are effective.
The two easiest ways are jogging and yoga – both are great for staying fit while never leaving the warm insides of your home. When it’s about yoga, touch and fit are paramount, so focus on comfort and support. You can buy yoga clothes online that are soft, breathable clothes and wrap around your body comfortably.
Jogging is similar to walking due to its simplicity, but it packs more punch since you actually use your arms more. It is also much better for losing weight compared to its more calm counterpart, especially if you jog more frequently. Even though jogging is traditionally classified as an outdoor activity, you can always consider a treadmill (you can find the best treadmills under 1000 dollars) – then even a marathon would be possible without going anywhere.
You might also consider yoga. It’s great because it offers many different exercises in one package and the regimens are readily and freely available on the Internet. Yoga helps improve flexibility, keeps your spine healthy, and improves posture. It also offers some cardio benefits, just like jogging does – so if you want to stay fit, yoga might be just for you.
Ensure That You Eat Healthily
No matter what your job is, you need to eat healthy. For people working from home, that is especially important. Often those who telework are not very motivated to get up and start cooking. After all, if you can get everything done from your chair, why not order something that could be consumed there, say a pizza or a box of Chinese takeout food?
Healthy eating relies on a balanced diet. It’s important to remember that the body needs a wide variety of nutrients to function properly. Failing to give your body everything it needs will result in you constantly feeling tired and frustrated. In addition, it will impact your ability to concentrate. It’s possible to cook healthy meals from home in an easy and quick way while saving money at the same time. All you have to do is look up thousands of recipes online and get the ingredients.
But if it’s time or effort that bars you from making the food yourself, consider getting a multicooker. These are a great choice because they let you meal prep in an almost entirely automated manner. After throwing a bunch of ingredients into it, all you have to do is wait till it’s done. Once you come back to turn it off, you’ll have a delicious and nourishing meal waiting for you to enjoy – and a couple of them to save for later.
Use a Standing Desk or Sit on an Exercise Ball
Sitting down for hours on end can be very taxing on both your mental and physical health when doing it regularly for work purposes. Fortunately, some things can help you minimize the harmful effects of sitting down too much.
Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular nowadays as they offer an alternative way of working while keeping your body active at the same time. Standing instead of sitting increases the rate at which calories are being burned. Some standing desks even include built-in fitness trackers, allowing you to keep track of your progress over time.
If standing desks aren’t for you, you can try sitting on an exercise ball instead of in a conventional chair. This will challenge your core and strengthen it, helping prevent back pain and other related issues. Not to mention it’s a fun way to work.
Join a Gym or Go For a Run
If, for whatever reason, exercising at home is not an option for you, consider joining your nearby gym. They usually have all the necessary gym equipment from inthemarket.ie for serious in-situ fitness training while also motivating you through social interaction.
This comes in handy when trying to stay fit while teleworking, as it allows you to meet other people who share similar goals and interests so that you can motivate each other through regular gym trips.
If you don’t want to join a gym, you simply opt for a run or jog around your neighborhood every day after work or on weekends when possible. Running daily will increase your endurance and stamina, making it much easier (and fun!) to work out at home in the future.
(Related: How To Find the Right Personal Trainer for You?)
Ditch the Car
Let’s face it. You already have much less exercise than before thanks to working from home. If the advice listed above isn’t your cup of tea, you don’t have to follow it. Just stop relying on your car whenever possible.
Even a simple shopping trip to the nearest mall can provide the much-needed workout your body can use to strengthen itself. But if possible, try to utilize the more remote stores to maximize the distance covered and thus the number of calories burned. When meeting up with friends and colleagues, avoid using taxis or public transport but rather walk there.
Walking helps you not only in the physical department but also mentally. A simple stroll down the street gives your mind time to relax and forget about your daily stresses, helping you stay psychically fit.
Remember to De-stress
As mentioned above, going for a walk can help your mind regenerate after a tense and exhausting day, but what if it’s not enough? Stress can not only induce a skull-splitting headache, but also hormones related to it can increase your appetite to unhealthy levels. Fortunately, while strolling is a reactive measure, there are more proactive ways of lowering your anxiety.
For example, you can start making your day much less stressful if you try to make a to-do list. It’ll help you organize your workload and most likely prevent a hectic scramble that usually accompanies recalling something forgotten.
In addition, it might be worth it to decorate your working area with things that are dear to you – be it a favorite plushie, a photo of your family, or even a golden cup you’ve won back in high school that still makes you smile. Such things will instantly remind you that you are in the safety of your own home, that you are in control here, and most certainly reduce the stress levels your brain experiences.
In Conclusion
Working from home is a great experience that offers you the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want. The only thing that may stop you from enjoying all the benefits of teleworking is your own body. After all, it’s up to you to take care of yourself.
Thankfully, there are many ways to do so – and they are not only easy but also cost-efficient. The tips mentioned above are just a few of them, so feel free to experiment with other things to find out what works best for you. Have fun!
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
