We’ve been living in such strange times in the past 6 months, with all of us having to adapt to a new way of living. The pandemic has caused so many people who would normally work in an office or other such workplace to have to convert to working from home. This is something that many have welcomed, but it has also brought with it a lot of difficulties.
While working at home can be great as it is more comfortable, and gets rid of time-consuming commutes, it has made things such as exercising difficult due to it being harder to separate work from pleasure when everything is taking place in the same environment.
With gyms being closed for so long and still having tight regulations, many have tried to think of ways they can work out at home whilst juggling work too.
Well, this article has you sorted! Below are some of the best ways that you can stay fit while working at home.
#1 Go for a Morning Run
One of the best ways to stay fit whilst working at home is to try and go for a run early in the morning. If you get up just an hour earlier than you need to for work, then you can head straight out the door and go for a lovely jog.
This is great because it gives you a bit of time outside the house in the fresh air, which is so important when you’re going to be spending the rest of the day inside and, most likely, stuck in front of a screen.
It can help clear your head and make you more alert to tackle the rest of the day. Why not pick a scenic route too to really make your morning exercise extra special!
#2 Do an Online Exercise Class
Another great way to stay fit whilst working at home is to do some online exercise classes. There have always been so many different workout videos on YouTube, but since lockdown more and more are being released!
The great thing about these online classes is that you can pick exactly what type of exercise you want to do. You can do a more intense HIIT class, or you can go for something calmer and relaxing such as yoga.
Yoga and Pilates are especially good for when you’re working at home as it helps to really calm your mind and allows you to better maintain your focus. It is a great de-stressor and is easy to do whilst on a conference call or online meeting.
#3 Have a Standing Desk
A great way to make yourself that little bit more active and less sedentary whilst working from home is to invest in a standing desk. Alternatively, you can just use something like the breakfast bar in your kitchen!
Just by standing whilst working instead of sitting will make such a difference to your fitness, as it keeps your muscles engaged and the blood flowing. It will also help to prevent you from losing focus, as when you’re sat in the same position for a long period of time it is easy to zone out and get tired!
This doesn’t, however, mean that you have to stand up for the whole day! Just maybe every hour or so get up from your chair and do an hour’s work standing, and then go back to sitting down. Just make sure you keep moving!
#4 Keep Some Weights Next to Your Desk
A great little idea is to keep some hand weights (of whatever heaviness you wish) next to your desk. This way when you get a few moments you can just grab them and do some simple exercises.
For example, when reading a particularly long email, you could do some arm raises or bicep curls. You could even do a whole little weight workout routine whilst on a conference call (just maybe make sure your webcam isn’t on whilst you’re doing this!)
#5 Schedule Your Exercise
The best way to make sure you do exercise and do it every day is to schedule it into your diary. You plan meetings, jobs etc, so do the same with your workout. If you plan ahead and see where you can pencil it in, then you are more likely to stick to it!
#6 Do Small Exercises Throughout the Day
Staying fit and keeping active doesn’t have to mean taking hours out of your day to do a big workout. Instead, you can just incorporate little bits of exercise throughout your day. For example, after an hour of work do 20 jumping jacks and then go back to work. Or, take a random minute out to do a plank.
Doing little things like this throughout your day will help to keep you active and fit, without it feeling like a massive chore.
So now you know some great ways you can stay fit while working at home, so there’s no excuse to just be sitting on your bum in front of a laptop! Get active and I promise your body and mind will thank you for it!
