TOP TIPS

1) Make the most of indoor exercise.

When working in an office, the thought of getting up and doing an hour of exercise on your lunch break or even getting active during a shorter break can seem impossible. The inconvenience of getting changed, the dilemma of not being able to shower afterwards, and the worry of not getting back to your desk on time are all things that would understandably put you off. However, when working from home, you have the luxury of a guaranteed shower afterwards and the ease of a quick change without even needing to leave the house.

One of the best ways to maximise your workout time is by doing indoor exercise such as indoor cycling. A great tool for this is the Wattbike, which guarantees an excellent workout in as little as 30 minutes. There are plenty of pre-set workouts to choose from on the Wattbike Hub App so you know your time will be spent well and you can choose a workout that is specific to your goals. Sweating it out on an indoor bike will help you to get rid of any stress built up and ensure you’ve got your heart rate up at least once during the day. Not only this, you should find that the post-workout endorphins increase your mood and productivity for the rest of your working day.

2) Set an alarm to remind you to move every hour.

One of the biggest traps we fall into with working from home (or indeed working in an office) is simply neglecting to move at all during the course of the day. If you are chained to your desk from morning to evening, not only will you become more susceptible to lifestyle diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle, you will likely suffer from physical problems such as a bad back, strained eyes, and sore wrists.

In order to ensure you stay healthy and avoid these preventable health issues, set an alarm to remind you to get up and move every hour – no matter how much work you have to get through. You could go for a 10-minute walk to enjoy the fresh air or do some light indoor exercise such as resistance band work, skipping, or foam rolling to soothe that sore back. Even if you feel you are too busy and don’t have the time, it’s important to prioritise your health and make the time.

3) Get the kids involved.

This year has been tough on everyone and parents have felt the full brunt of having children at home all day while schools have been closed. Although most schools are now back open, your children may be at home on a weekday for any number of reasons, or you may find you need to work from home on a weekend. If this is the case, make the most of your companions and get them active with you!

Kids are always full of energy and love any excuse to get moving and blow off steam, no matter what age. Have your kids teach you a dance or play an active game with them. Not only will this get you up and moving, it will provide valuable family bonding time and will stop your children from being bored throughout the day.

4) Increase your non-exercise activity.

When we think about getting active, we typically think about physical exercise such as running, cycling or going to the gym. However, the amount of non-exercise activity that we do in a day also plays a huge part in our health and wellbeing. You’ve likely heard of your metabolism and how that plays a part in burning calories, but did you know that non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) also plays a big part and refers to the energy expended when not sleeping and includes things like your daily step count?

Although the myth of walking 10,000 steps a day has been largely debunked and proven to be an arbitrary number, it still has some valid science behind it. By increasing your daily step count by going for a short walk and increasing other non-exercise activity, you can take a step towards improving your health and wellbeing. Home activities such as cleaning and cooking count as part of this activity too and can easily be done while you are working from home. So, if the thought of getting up and doing a full workout seems daunting or you don’t have time, something simple like this would still be a great way to get active.

5) Schedule digital rest breaks.

Sitting at a desk all day and staring at a computer have numerous risks associated, such as increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. These are all lifestyle diseases that can be avoided by taking regular digital rest breaks and reducing the amount you are sedentary. Our bodies are not designed to be chained to a desk all day and it’s not good for our muscles or organs.

Make sure to take regular rest breaks; some ideas include looking out the window, going out into the garden, cooking a healthy lunch, chatting with family, playing with a pet, or going for a short but brisk walk. Every single part of your body will thank you and these are easy ways to get more active while working from home..