FOR MANY Working from home is a new experience and perhaps, because you are more connected during the day, you lose valuable time that you should dedicate to well-being. So it’s important to find creative ways to continue physical activity while being forced to work from home.
Samantha Clayton, Herbalife Nutrition Vice President of Sports Performance and Global Physical Education provides some tips for taking care of your physical well-being and work activities, including exercising on the work from home schedule:
Keep a routine
Just as it is important to have a consistent training regimen to avoid or delay “kneading” in physical performance, it is also important to develop or maintain the “work routine” to avoid incorporating bad habits that will affect motivation.
Although it may seem tempting to get up and work in your pajamas, your workspace will get messy and your habits will change, without you noticing. In the midst of so many changes, why add another one? Stay consistent and stick to a schedule. Every morning, get up at the same time that you would get up if you went to the office, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, prepare the work station and work as you normally would. Maintaining this sense of normality will help you focus on your tasks.
Prioritize movement at work
Although you may be more concerned with finishing work than exercising, the truth is that you should always try to take time to reach a total of 30 minutes of exercise a day. If you include it in the schedule and add it to the daily agenda, it will be an expected moment within the monotony of the working day.
In addition, some research associates sitting for long periods of time with a series of health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and back pain.
Although “keeping fit” is not a priority for you, during physical activity the body increases the natural release of endorphins that, at a minimum, improves mood. And in stressful times like this, one of the biggest benefits of exercising regularly is the ability to facilitate activities of daily living.
Exercise while you work
Here are five easy exercises to do while working from home, and for some, you don’t even need to get away from your workstation:
• Set an alarm: This notification on the phone will help you get a few minutes of activity at the beginning, middle and end of each hour. It doesn’t matter if you decide to do sit-ups, 60 squats, or 20 push-ups for one minute – setting a schedule to pause work and get your body moving will not only help you feel stronger over time, it will also keep you high your energy throughout the day.
• Stretch your upper body: Preheat your muscles by stretching your upper body, raise your arms above your head, and stretch until you feel it in your chest and biceps. Stretching helps relieve stress and muscle tension.
• Talk on the phone while standing: Take advantage of calls to put on your headphones and move, walking or squatting. With lunges you can also work glutes and thighs. Lunge forward, lowering your hip to the floor, once with each leg.
• Seated sit-ups: work the sit-ups. You should keep your back straight and your hands behind your head; then, raise your knees toward your elbows, once with each leg.
• Ankle Circles – Maintain good blood circulation by simply drawing circles with your ankles to promote healthy circulation.
A balanced diet
Some of the best ways to get great physical and emotional results include: managing your exercise routine, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep. During the day, healthy snacks, such as whole fruits, cheese strips, and yogurt, will not only satisfy you, but are also easy to eat when you lose track of time by being connected all day.
In addition, you will feel satisfied with a balanced diet rich in protein and thus avoid going to the fridge again and again. Don’t forget that working from home doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep your limits, during these days, be sure to take time to relax.
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