It is estimated that over 4 million individual in the UK work from home and this figure is expected to continue to rise as employers and employees alike recognise the many benefits of this way of working. There is even a national day dedicated to it National Work from Home Day on May 18th which aims to promote smarter working practices and to multiply workplace wellness.
As someone who works from home, I could spend hours going on with regards to’concerning’with respect to the many perks. From flexible hours, saving money on travel and not having to dress up in smart clothes eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully day, once you ve convert’transform ed to working from home you ll never want to go back. One question I acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure asked a lot however, is how I contrive to separate work from home life and how on earth I motivate myself to workout when the lure of the sofa and a full biscuit tin are in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever lurking.
With this in mind I possess’own’nurse put toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her some of the ways I fit exercise into my working day and explore why it is significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative to workout out when you work from home.
Why Working Out At Home Is Important
There are many different reasons why individual who work from home should make the exertion to fit exercise into their day. Aside from the obvious fitness and health reasons, exercise has been proven to help productivity levels and multiply creativity and lateral claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing in workers.
There s no doubt that it s harder to motivate yourself to exercise when it s just you alone at home, especially when your mind is probably telling you that you should be hard at it. It s as if we need to justify being at home and therein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e feel as despite’in spite of’albeit we should be working harder and continuously without break. But this is ridiculous. If we allow our fitness and health to drop down the priority list, it s a subconscious message to ourselves that we don t matter. And this has a knock on effect on our assurance , our energy, our self-esteem, and ultimately our purpose.
In my own undergo of working from home I possess’own’nurse found that without incorporating exercise into my daily routine, I feel not merely’barely intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully isolated, but also more lethargic. My body feels stiffer and aches from sitting in/with regard to’concerning’regarding too long in the same spot, and as in/with regard to’concerning’regarding my mental health, well that deteriorates quite rapidly without exercise and I definitely notice a decline in my productivity levels and the standard of work I manufacture . Exercise gives me back my sanity and I possess’own’nurse learnt that the best combination in/with regard to’concerning’regarding me is to mix group exercise in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the social element, with the convenience of strength training and HIIT cardio sessions at home.
Here s how I ve incorporated my workouts into my working day at home:
Create Your Space
In an ideal world you d create a workout space in a different zone’district’region to your workspace, as you want to be able to convert’transform off and not be distracted by pinging inboxes and phone calls. However, not all of us possess’own’nurse the luxury of extra space in our homes and ultimately it s with regards to’concerning’with respect to doing the best with what you possess’own’nurse . First and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding emost it is essential that during the time you work out you turn your phone and laptop to mute so that you aren t tempted to sneak a peek at any incoming emails. There is literally zero point in taking a break if you re not actually taking a break!
You don t need expensive equipment or enormous’vast’massive’tremendous all singing all dancing gym machines to possess’own’nurse a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent workout. Things like hand weights, stand up to withstand ance bands and kettlebells are all great inexpensive kit to possess’own’nurse stored at home. And if there is just one thing you should invest in, it s a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent quality gym or yoga mat in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you to workout on. You can look on Eveque in/with regard to’concerning’regarding inspiration to help acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure your home gym kitted out with a few workout essentials.
No matter where you create your home workout space, ultimately it should be fit in/with regard to’concerning’regarding purpose, by which I mean clean, comin/with regard to’concerning’regarding table and clutter free. The rest is then up to you!
Time Management
In just the same way you would schedule a meeting or a client phone call, it is significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative to take the same approach when it comes to exercise. Because in all honesty, if it s not scheduled in your calendar it s unlikely to happen. Exercise is one of those things that we find easy to move down our list of priorities. And so when our work load multiply s, or we possess’own’nurse a deadline looming, if a workout hasn t been scheduled into our working day it s all too easy to bin it off and then find ourselves desk bound in/with regard to’concerning’regarding hours at a time.
Think attentive ly with regards to’concerning’with respect to the time of day that suits you best. It could be that you re someone who prefers to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure exercise out of the way and so scheduling it in in/with regard to’concerning’regarding when you first acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure up in the morning will work well in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you. Or perhaps you like to break your day up, by taking a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous chunk of time during your lunch break to help eliminate’remove your brain in an attempt to try and shun the mid afternoon slump. Or maybe you d rather leave it until the end of your working day, so that you can use it as a way of unwinding.
I fall into the let s acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure this done category, because if I don t do exercise first thing I usually contrive to wheedle my way out of it some how or other. Having said that, since working from home I possess’own’nurse joined a running club and I tend to run with them one evening a week. Again it all boils down to how you manage your time and when you schedule your workouts in. If it s written down, I know I will do it. If it s not then I don t fancy my chances!
Take Regular Breaks
On top of your scheduled workout time, it s advisable to possess’own’nurse plenty of mini breaks throughout your working day too. It can be as simple as acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting up to make a cup of coffee or simply cover’budge ing up and down the stairs a couple of times, but it s those regular breaks that give you the opportunity to stretch and to release any tension that may possess’own’nurse built up in your body from sitting staring at a screen in/with regard to’concerning’regarding too long. Plus it s a great way to recharge your batteries and refresh your mind.
Government guidelines recommend you possess’own’nurse a 5-10 minute break in/with regard to’concerning’regarding eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully hour you spend working at a screen. Use this time to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure up and amble’stroll’bimble’meander’roam around, or if the weather s nice head outside in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a boost of vitamin D. You might claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate you re acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting more work done by sitting down and grinding in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the entire day, but actually you are more likely to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure more work done and be more productive by having these regular breaks.
Find An Accountability Partner
Being accountable to someone is an absolutely fantastic way to make sure you keep to a fitness routine. And with so many individual working from home these days it should be easy in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you find someone to buddy up with. It may be someone you are already friends with, someone you know through a sporting club or from the gym, or perhaps someone you may possess’own’nurse met at a local networking group. The chances are if they work from home, they too will need a kick up the backside to keep themselves motivated when it comes to their fitness. You are far less likely to come up with an excuse if it means letting someone down by not keeping to your commitments. Take it in turns to workout at each other s houses, or why not simply go out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a cover’budge to blow away the cobwebs simultaneous’synchronous . You could even schedule in an active business meeting that involves cover’budge ing and talking, thus killing two birds with one stone.
Think About How You Sit
Good posture is a huge component of a healthy body and contributes token ificantly to our overall health and fitness. When you work in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a firm’enterprise it is standard practice in/with regard to’concerning’regarding your work desk and office chair to go through various checks to assure’guarantee they are ergonomically suited to you. When you work from home, it is highly unlikely you will possess’own’nurse this luxury! There is lots of inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation available online with regards to’concerning’with respect to how to sit correctly and how to shun developing repetitive strain injury from using your keyboard and mouse pad incorrectly. Do your research and claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to the type of desk and chair that you currently use. Many new products will state whether they are ergonomically tested, and others are specifically detoken ed with posture in mind. You can buy chairs that possess’own’nurse a seat like an inflatable ball, which help to strengthen your core muscles, and you might also like to claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to investing in a standing desk or even a treadmill desk if you really want to take things up a notch.
You Are What You Eat
It s one thing acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting on top of your fitness when you work from home, but it s going to be utterly wasted if you then spend all afternoon slowly making your way through the entire contents of your biscuit tin. Temptation is eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullywhere, but the one thing you can control is what food you possess’own’nurse in the house. Make sure your kitchen is stocked up with lots of fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, energy balls etc. and keep any treats hidden away out of sight. Fill your freezer with frozen berries so that you can make yourself a healthy smoothie and of course always make sure there is coffee in the house!
Exercise should be included in our daily routine no matter where you work or what you do, however when you work from home it is more significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative than ever to keep on top of it and to make sure you don t let wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile habits slip in. Hopefully you will take inspiration from the advice I ve given above so that it can help you to continue working out when you work from home.
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