6 Simple Ways To Get More Active When You Work From Home

The shift toward working from home in recent years has been a positive change for so many people. Now, instead of commuting back and forth to the office, employees can take back that time for themselves. With a better work-life balance, work-from-home employees generally feel much less stressed. 

Working from home can pose a challenge to those who want to maintain an active lifestyle. It can be easy to get caught up in work and forget to get up and get moving. Plus, after working all day, many people feel far too exhausted to work in exercise after they’ve finished work for the day. That’s why it’s much easier to get active during work. For those WFH employees who want to bake in physical activity during the workday, these 6 tips can help you get started. 

How To Get More Active When You Work From Home

Make These 6 Simple Changes To Stay Active When You Work From Home

No matter where you work, it can be hard to be active. However, working from home poses its own unique challenges. Especially for people who work alone when they work from home, it’s easy to stay glued to your desk all day instead of taking the time to get active. With that being said, here are some tips to help you incorporate healthy lifestyle changes into your workday:

1. Block Off Time On Your Calendar For Breaks

With most work-from-home jobs, you likely have time for breaks throughout the day. While it may seem tempting to skip right over your breaks and keep on working, taking breaks can actually help improve your focus and engage with your work better. Plus, a nice break throughout the day can help you de-stress and keep a positive attitude throughout the day. 

Scheduling your breaks ahead of time can help your coworkers understand when you are available and when they can expect you to be away from your computer. Take the time you have scheduled for your breaks and try to incorporate some physical activity, whether that be going on a walk or squeezing in a 10-minute virtual workout. When you actually use your breaks and go a step further to use that time to get active, you will feel so much better when you return to your computer to get to work. 

2. Combine Work And Exercise

For people with busy work schedules, it can be difficult to actually block time off to get in a workout. Nowadays, though, it’s easier than ever to combine your efforts so that you can get active while working. 

For example, you may consider getting a portable, compact elliptical so that you can pedal while you work. Something like this type of equipment is great for a home office because of how small and easy to store it is. Using an elliptical while you work can help you improve your range of motion and flexibility. On average, you will burn around 150 calories per hour, which is a big difference if you normally sit idly at a desk all day. 

As opposed to under-the-desk treadmills, under-desk ellipticals take up far less space, are often much quieter, and allow you to sit while getting in some movement. Plus, if you ever have to return to the office or start a hybrid schedule, you can easily bring your portable elliptical back and forth from home to the office so that you can get active no matter where you’re working. 

3. Set Reminders To Get Up From Your Desk

Sitting all day can cause some serious health issues. Not only can it cause you to gain weight, but it can also cause heart problems, increase your risk of diabetes, lead to enhanced anxiety, and a whole list of other issues. Getting up once an hour every hour—even just for a couple of minutes—can help decrease your risk of developing these issues tremendously. 

A great way to remember to get up throughout the day is to set a reminder. At the top of the hour, set a reminder on your phone or on your work calendar to stand up. Try walking through different rooms of your home, getting up to refill your water, or even doing some stretches. 

4. Squeeze In Extra Movement

Depending on the type of work you do, there may be some opportunities to get in some extra movement during the day. Say for example you take a lot of calls or maybe you need to brainstorm ideas for an upcoming project. Well, instead of sitting at your desk while taking those calls or brainstorming, consider walking around your house while you talk or generate those ideas. Take a look at your daily responsibilities and identify any tasks where you can get active while accomplishing what you need to do. 

5. Establish a Healthy Morning Routine

One benefit of working from home is that you get to skip the morning commute, giving you a lot of time back into your day. Now, you may be tempted to use that time to sleep in until you have to get up to start working, but establishing a morning routine is still so helpful for people who work from home. In fact, studies show a morning routine can:

• Reduce your stress – A morning routine can help you feel in control of your schedule. By reserving extra time in the morning, unplanned circumstances that would normally cause you stress can be handled without rushing. 
• Increase your productivity – By waking up early and following a schedule, you will give yourself more time throughout the day to focus on your work tasks rather than interrupting your day to do things unrelated to work. 
• Encourage self-confidence – Keeping a morning routine can set an example for others, and because of that, it will give you more motivation to continue your routine while boosting your own confidence. 
• Better your sleeping habits – Getting up at the same time every day ensures that you do not disrupt your sleep pattern and can help you maintain a consistent sleep schedule. 
• Improve your happiness – It’s proven that people who have a consistent morning routine are more likely to wake up feeling happy and can maintain that sense of gratitude better throughout the day. 

Incorporating some exercise into your morning routine can help you get your day started on the right foot. You don’t have to do a crazy amount of physical activity. In fact, even just 30 minutes of exercise in the morning can drastically improve your health. Start off slow by doing some stretches to get your body warmed up. After you’ve eased into your routine, you may want to take a walk or jog around the neighborhood, do an at-home virtual yoga class, or other simple at-home exercises. No matter how you choose to fit exercise into your morning routine, you will notice you have more energy and a brighter mood when you start work for the day. 

6. Take Your Workouts Outside

When you work from home, it can be easy to stay inside all day. Going outside, even just for 20 minutes a day, can improve your mood and boost your energy levels significantly. Of course, depending on where you live, it can be a bit more challenging to get outside during harsh, cold winters or if you live in an area without a lot of outdoor space. 

With that being said, take any opportunity you can to get outside during your workday. You can start your day off with a quick walk around the block for coffee. You may consider doing some stretches in your backyard. Take your workouts outside as often as possible and you’ll notice a big change in your mood and energy levels. 

By making just a few changes in your workday routine, you will be on your way to getting more active throughout the day. Whether you decide to switch up your morning routine to get in a workout before your workday or you combine your efforts to work and work out at the same time, you will notice a big difference in your mood and your energy levels. Now it’s time for you to take these tips and get more active when working from home!