STAYING ACTIVE WORKING FROM HOME

HEALTHY YOU

STAYING ACTIVE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

DAILY MOVEMENT IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THESE TIPS

BY ANGELA RUDOLPH

When you work from home, it’s easy to get wrapped up in responsibilities and forget to take care of your physical health. You move from the bed to the table, to the couch, and your desk…. but that’s pretty much it. So, how do you beat the burden of convenience and get your steps in each day when you live in your office? Here are a few ways to stay in shape while working from home.

TRACK YOUR ACTIVITY. Simply tracking a positive behavior by writing it down helps increase the behavior. By tracking how many steps you’ve taken or the crunches and squats you’ve done, you’ll naturally begin to do more of them. Either write them down or use an app or smart watch and see your healthy activity increase!

CREATE A ROUTINE. Consciously decide that you’re going to start each day with a brisk walk or opt for five squats after each restroom break. When you routinize your healthy choices, they become habits.

BLOCK OUT TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR. Physical health is tied closely to mental health. Put physical activity breaks as meetings on your calendar app and treat that time like an actual meeting! When that notification pops up and it’s time to exercise, follow through.

CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. Choose furniture that supports a lifestyle full of movement. Make small changes like using a standing desk or an office chair without arm rests. When you have an office chair without arm rests, you must use more of your abdominal muscles each time you stand. Over time those little movements add up to healthy benefits for your body. FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDY. Make plans with a friend or neighbor. When you have someone to go on a walk around the block with, it makes it easier to stick to that plan and not skip your workout.

SWITCH IT UP. Physical activity can get mundane if you do the same thing all the time. Find ways to change up your workouts like going for a bike ride or trying a new route for your walk. There are so many free home workout videos available on YouTube, you can do mat-Pilates one day and a boxing cardio session the next. Keep it interesting and your mind will be as happy as your body!