How to stay fit while working from home

With the steady rise of remote working, health is a daily concern. Discover how to stay healthy even when working from home with a sedentary lifestyle.

The global pandemic has prompted many companies to implement remote work policies. As a result, they've witnessed the many benefits that remote working offers employees. And these benefits are considerable.

According to a survey conducted by CoSo Cloud, 77% of people believe they are more productive when working from home. Another study, conducted by real estate firm CBRE, suggests that up to 69% of millennials are willing to sacrifice some in-person benefits for more flexible work arrangements. And according to video conferencing company Owl Labs, 74% of people say they are more likely to stay with a company if they have the option to work remotely.

In other words, working from home is set to become the new norm in the coming years. However, working from home also presents challenges.

With no longer having to go to the office, professionals tend to be less concerned about their health. Some also find they have less access to gyms or other resources that help them stay fit. In this article, we offer six tips for staying healthy while working remotely.

Tip 1 - Do Squats Regularly

A simple exercise, squats involve using your own body weight to strengthen your lower body. Here are the steps for this exercise:

• Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Stretch your arms out in front of you, then sit down as if you were in a chair.
• Lower yourself as low as you comfortably can while keeping your back straight. Keep your hips parallel to the floor and make sure your knees stay behind your toes.
• Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise nine more times.

You can use dumbbells to create additional resistance if you want to make this exercise more challenging. However, only do this if you are already confident in your technique without using additional weights.

Tip 2 - Move Every Hour

It's easy to spend too much time in front of the computer when working from home. Additionally, you may choose to spend your breaks sitting in front of the television. This leads to long periods of sedation during which your body isn't moving.

Sitting for hours on end is associated with a host of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. By committing to moving for a few minutes every hour, you can reduce your risk of these conditions.

Consider setting a timer to remind you to get up every hour. Spend some time walking around the house or taking a short walk around the neighborhood before heading back to work.

Tip 3 - Use an Ergonomic Chair

Besides walking every hour, there are several ways to stay active even while working.

For example, sitting on an exercise ball is a great way to keep your body active while you're in front of a computer. The unstable nature of the ball forces you to use your core muscles to stay upright, strengthening your body tone.

Some people go even further and choose to work standing up. Keep in mind that while this technique is effective, it requires a desk that's high enough to allow you to stand while working. If your desk is too low, you risk developing posture problems from constantly having to bend down.

Tip 4 - Create a Stress-free Work Environment

One of the benefits of working from home is that you have complete control over your environment. Use this to your advantage by creating an environment that helps you combat stress.

For example, placing scented candles around your desk creates a more relaxed environment, as does having plants in your workspace. Working near a window also helps reduce stress, and having a view of nature can be calming.

Tip 5 - Do Jumping Jacks

An exercise most people are familiar with from gym class at school, jumping jacks increase your heart rate and work your entire body.
The exercise is simple:

• Stand perfectly straight with your arms at your sides and your knees together.
• Bend your knees slightly before jumping into a position where your feet are shoulder-width apart and your arms are extended overhead.
• Upon landing, return to standing and repeat the exercise at least nine times.

Jumping jacks allow you to improve your cardiovascular fitness without requiring a lot of space. You can also add resistance by using free weights, although this should only be done once you have mastered the technique.

Tip 6 - Healthy Snacks In Your Kitchen

The kitchen is just steps away when you're working from home. Unfortunately, this also means it's very easy to access sugary snacks at any time.
To better manage your sugary snack intake, you can make healthy snacks more accessible and visible, so you'll be less tempted by less healthy snacks. It's all about balance!

In Summary: Your Health is a Priority

While working remotely offers many benefits in terms of flexibility, productivity, and work-life balance, it can also lead to a more sedentary work environment. To overcome this problem, you need to find ways to keep your body active, even when you spend long hours sitting in front of a computer.

The six tips in this article will help you do just that. And best of all, none of them require you to buy expensive exercise equipment.

Remote work presents many other challenges that employees and businesses must master. If you need help creating the most effective remote work environments possible, schedule a 15-minute call with us today: by calling us at 514-548-3466 or emailing us at info@nexxo.tech .

Article used with permission from The Technology Press .

About Nexxo

Nexxo Computer Solutions specializes in providing IT and technology services to Quebec businesses. Its mission is to offer Quebec companies IT services tailored to their needs. Acting as an external IT department, it handles all of a company's IT tasks, allowing it to focus on its business activities. It achieves this by collaborating closely with its clients and putting their interests at the center of its concerns.