With more and more people now using their home as their work HQ, inactivity is a greater threat than ever before. If you’re working from your living room or kitchen table, you’re likely to be moving less than you would have done during a day in the office.
Even the brief walks from house to car and from car to office have gone, as has the slight heart rate increase when hurrying to catch a bus or train.
Despite this reduction in physical activity, many people won’t be making a change to their diet. This means that they’ll be taking in the same calorie levels without burning off the resulting energy stores – making it harder to maintain a healthy weight.
So, what can you do to stay fit when working from home?
Use Your Breaks
Try to take breaks regularly to stand and stretch your limbs out. This will keep your blood flowing and prevent any reduction in flexibility and joint mobility. It’s also good to give your eyes a brief rest by looking away from the screen.
Make sure you take your full allotted time for lunch and get some fresh air, taking regular walks, jogs or runs.
Maintain a Regular Workout Routine
You don’t need to attend a gym or go to sports practice to continue pursuing your fitness goals. Get hold of a few pieces of quality gym equipment that fit your workout preferences, then stick to a good solid hour-long workout at least twice per week.
Dumbbells or free weights, resistance bands, wrist and ankle weights, pull up bars, medicine balls, punch bags, yoga balls and kettlebells can all be easily installed or stored in your home to grab when you need them.
If you have the space and cash, you could invest in a proper home gym, complete with a cardio machine such as a treadmill, stationary bike, rower or cross trainer, weight or resistance machines and other equipment.
Try to determine the time of day when you feel most inclined to exercise – before work? At lunch? In the evening? Don’t force yourself to get physical at an unsuitable hour.
To stay disciplined, you could even make arrangements with friends to check in regularly and support one another throughout your individual fitness journeys.
Don’t Overdo It
With gym equipment so close to hand, it’s easy to get a little too into working out. The boredom of being stuck at home can easily take over! Make sure you maintain good form and don’t push yourself dangerously hard.
Remember that recovery is an exceptionally important part of your fitness regime, so be sure to take regular rest days and eat nutritious, protein-rich food to keep your muscles and joints in great working order.
If you find yourself suffering from aches, pains, stiffness, swelling or any other indication that you’ve suffered an injury, arrange for specialist sports massage, physiotherapy or myotherapy consultation and treatment straight away.
The sooner the problem is resolved, the more quickly and effectively you can begin your recovery and start working out again.
At Freedom Sports Medicine, our physiotherapy and myotherapy specialists discuss the background of every case with the client in detail, providing advice to help the prevention of further injuries and to aid each individual along the path towards significant physical improvement.
To find out how we can help, get in touch today. You can also book an appointment with us if inactivity or poor working posture has led to aches and pains; we’ll be happy to treat and advise you.
