Covid probably accelerated the remote working movement by decades. Thousands of us never went back to the office (full time at least) after the pandemic. And most of us are happy about it. The majority of people would rather not be forced into office working full time, with recent statistics showing a preference for hybrid or fully remote working.
But while work from home comes with a host of perks, for many of us it means we move less. The walk to the train station or the day to day movement around the office is no longer a thing. It’s so easy to spend the entire day in your home without any need to move much further than the kitchen to your living room or home office.
With that in mind, here are 4 tips for staying active while you work from home.
1. Use your commuting time for a walk or other activity
It’s great not having to commute. If you’re someone who was used to commuting an hour each way, that is potentially 2 more hours of free time you could carve out of the day. Of course, it’s easy to allow those to get eaten up by life admin or even continuing to work out of hours. But at least a few times a week, maybe consider using what used to be your commuting window to get out for a walk or bike ride.
2. Consider a Standing Desk or Desk Treadmill
Not a cheap or easy one, but if you are able to buy and have the space for a desk treadmill or even a standing desk with a simple walking pad underneath, this could really help.
It means you can move while you work and it’s surprising how quickly you get used to typing while you step!
3. Stand Regularly
Sitting is not good for us. And the reality for those of us with desk jobs is that we could be doing it for hours upon hours every single day. Even if you don’t walk around, do set yourself the task of standing for a minute each hour. Apple Watch users will find this is already a reminder set on their phone with the Apple fitness app so that’s handy!
4. Stretch at Your Desk
Bupa has a great Youtube video on stretches you can do at your desk.
This can really help reduce the risks of some of the aches and pains associated with sitting at desks all day too.
Ultimately…
…the perks of work from home are pretty numerous. And while the drawbacks can include things like a lack of movement, it’s an easy one to fix!
