The joys of working from home don’t include gaining weight and remaining stagnant. Sure, being so close to the kitchen makes it convenient to clean but it’s also tempting to overeat! That’s why those working from home have to reverse the looming threat of sitting in stagnation. Here’s how to be creative and facilitate habits centered upon walking, standing, and moving more often while working from home.
Create a Combination
Some believe in keeping things regimented and recurring. For example, maintain a 20-8-2 rule. Stand every eight minutes for every twenty sitting, and make it a habit to walk around for two minutes every half hour. You don’t have to pledge allegiance to the 20-8-2 method. Create your own convenient way to keep standing and moving throughout the day rather than sitting for hours on end.
If you make it a habit to eat lunch out of the house each day, then you’re guaranteed to do a bit of standing and walking. You can supplement the jaunt to lunch with a short stroll at the park. Since eating lunch out each day could get expensive, pack a lunch and head out to a picturesque (but free) public area. If you do plan to eat at an establishment, choose a restaurant with a number of healthy menu items.
Stand While Working
More people are electing to stand for a part or the workday. A number of manufacturers supply solutions for those who prefer a standing desk. Moreover, at-home workers buy other products like anti-fatigue mats and cushioned walking shoes to make the stand while working experience more comfortable. Visit Amazon.com/Sky-Anti-Fatigue-Dark-Brown/ to find a number of products to suit your needs in creating an at-home stand/sit workspace. It may take some time to get used to standing, so start with a small amount of time and then increase standing time.
Get an Exercise Bike
It’s one of the oldest forms of “exercise equipment,” simple, and effective. Buy a new or used exercise bike and ride at the beginning, in the middle, or at the conclusion of a workday. Despite the stationary position, an exercise bike challenges the cardiovascular system just as jogging, hiking, and other active pursuits. Many models are collapsible, light, and easy to store. Whether it’s raining, snowing, or the sun is shining, you can always put in time on your exercise bike.
Make a Game Out of It
A number of apps and exercise devices help measure and catalog endeavors. Track your athletic progress, making a game out of getting increasingly more fit. Get a spouse, friend or child involved so you’re more likely to follow through on initial intentions. Different from other workout buddy engagements, you can track progress online so you don’t have to exercise with a partner. You don’t have to workout at the same times or even live in the same area.
Take the Long Way
People celebrate shortcuts and finding the fastest route to their destinations. However, they’re missing out on opportunities to get more exercise. For example, rather than wedge in somewhere amongst a bundle of cars at the grocery store parking lot, park farther away from the entrance and beget the chance to take more steps and burn more calories. Taking longer routes is a good way to counterbalance sitting idly at home for hours.
Don’t Do-It-Yourself
It’s tempting to craft your own standing desk. However, it’s not as simple as stacking a laptop on top of a few books and a stool. One has to consider ergonomics and practice good posture. Otherwise, good intentions can result in back, leg, and foot aches or worse. If you’re serious about getting a standing desk, talk to a supplier and peruse online forums and health journals. For example, one online resource suggests a person should be 20 to 28 inches away from the computer screen and their computer should rest slightly below your elbows while standing. Otherwise, you can strain your muscles and make the experience much more uncomfortable than it has to be.
Don’t Forget the Chair
Those who seek to get more active while sitting sometimes forget that they don’t have to get up from the chair to do it. A range of chairs wobble, demand core muscle attention, and serve as ways to stay active while sitting in place. Rather than do away with sitting all together, keep your present desk and consider getting a balance ball chair, wobble stool, etc.
