Work From Home Tips: Staying Active

If you’re like me then you’ll understand the huge struggle of trying to stay relatively active while working from home. Although there are few of us who are blessed enough to have a job where we are able to work from home, it does come with it’s own set of new challenges. 

Given that most of our day is now spent in a room of a couple hundred square feet, it does change up a routine that would typically include some kind of physical activity. That 20 minute walk to and from work? Taking the stairs several times a day? Traveling to an out of office event? However minimal, there are some aspects of working at an office that mean you get some kind of physical activity in your day. Even long romantic walks to the coffee machine count, right? Either way, I’m sure we can all agree that whilst working from home, our normal physical activity is drastically reduced, hence why I’ve decided to share my work from home tips and tricks to remaining active and healthy even whilst staying indoors.

Dedicate Time for your Health

With all the things that all of us have to face day to day, it is very common for people (including myself) to put their health on the back burner. I get it and believe me, I’ve been there. Setting aside time in your day to focus on your health has huge benefits to your overall well-being. Whilst I don’t expect anyone to suddenly take on an intensive sport like weightlifting, even something as simple as stretching once a day has been proven to improve your mood. 

Think about the time you spend driving to and from work. In New Orleans, the average commute time is 23.9 minutes. Now think about the time you spend getting yourself together in the morning. All the time we spend waking up early to get to work has drastically been reduced. Utilize that time you would otherwise be commuting to try some new ways to be active, like:

• Stretching
• Yoga
• Walking
• Biking
• Meditation

Point being is that there is now a little more time in your usual morning routine to set aside to prioritize your health.

Move Around the Home More

It seems really obvious but it is very important especially when sitting at a desk all day. Whether that means moving with your laptop to a different part of the house or doing a quick stretch at your desk, just standing up improves blood flow and uses more muscle groups than sitting down. Now, of course, very few of us have the time during the work day (or the willpower) to crush a Terry Crews-esque workout, but starting with small changes adds up to making a huge difference. Some members of our team use their lunch break as an opportunity to go for a walk or a bike ride. I, personally, like to spend my lunch preparing dinner. By standing as opposed to sitting down, I’m working my body more. On top of that, it’s something that helps de-stress my mind (and who doesn’t love to think about what they’re going to eat for dinner later?).

Keep Your Activities Fun

Oftentimes, exercise can seem like a chore and can even be intimidating. If you’re someone who can follow along to an intense HIIT session, then by all means kill it! But if something like that seems a bit out there, think of the activities you enjoy doing and do them more often. Activities like skateboarding, rollerblading, biking, walking or even gardening may seem like leisure activities but they can help you burn a lot of calories. One hour of gardening can burn anything from 200-450 calories, and a Twix is 286 calories! Even if you don’t plan to count your calories, it is still pretty impressive how active something as simple as gardening can be. Stick to the activities you enjoy and you’ll be exercising without even realizing it.

Take a Moment to Appreciate the Little Things

As I mentioned earlier, we’re in a lucky position where we are able to work from home and although it does present some challenges, we have a unique opportunity to continue working hard in our respective fields. That in itself is something to take a moment to appreciate. As much as I have said a lot surrounding taking care of one’s physical health, one’s mental wellbeing is just as important. While we practice social distancing and try to keep being outside to a bare minimum, there is a ton of beauty to be grateful for here in New Orleans and while the streets are fairly empty, why not pass by some of the sights of the city. Whenever you decide to go for a long walk or bike ride check out all the treasures of New Orleans. Download our aesthetics guide to learn more about the hot spots in New Orleans for that perfect picture opp (and don’t forget to tag us!).

For those of you who are used to intense exercise regimens, these few work from home tips may come as second nature. However, for those of us who are now transitioning to working from home, using a couple of these tips can help you move more and remember to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing. Improving on those aspects are crucial to ensure you remain focused so you can crush your workday. I’m no expert, but one thing I do know is that if it takes an hour to plant some pretty flowers and I can reward myself with a guilt-free Twix, I’m a happy woman!