How To Stay Active While Working From Home

People working from home in Mt. Airy share a common problem with others nationwide. It's hard to stay active when you don't have to get dressed. It's too easy to stay in your sweats all day with your eyes focused on your computer or the pet project for your job. Unlike traditional jobs where you leave the house, it's harder to maintain any semblance of a schedule. Your personal life melts into your work life. Even running errands or going to the gym can be difficult.

Create a schedule giving you breaks throughout the day.

You might think you're accomplishing more by sticking with your tasks for long hours, but you probably aren't. You need to get up and move around to increase circulation. Studies show that people who exercise and move more throughout the day improve their cognitive thinking and accomplish more. Schedule five minutes every hour to get up and move. You could do jumping jacks next to your desk or do a physical task around the house. Make schedule an appointment on your calendar to exercise at the same time daily. It becomes a habit that way.

Consider virtual training.

Virtual training allows you to maximize the time you use for exercise. You don't have any travel time. We offer live streaming and recorded workouts you can do at home. Create your schedule around the workouts and be consistent. If the live streams don't fit your schedule, find a time that works. You can access a recorded workout and exercise when it's best for you. You can always switch and take your workout to the gym.

Do shorter workouts.

You don't have to spend hours exercising. You can cut the time by using HIIT---high intensity interval training---workouts. HIIT workouts aren't specific exercises but a way of doing any exercise. You push the limits, exercising at peak intensity for a short period. It can be as short as a minute or two. Then lower the intensity to a recovery pace for the same time or longer. You alternate between the two intensities throughout the workout. HIIT burns more calories and gets you into shape faster than steady-state exercises.

• Plan activities you enjoy that get you moving. If you hate running, don't run. If you love dancing, plan one night a week to go dancing. Include fun activities in your week as part of your workout program.

• Get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can cause stress. Stress hormones can cause belly fat. It also causes an increase in ghrelin--the hormone that makes you hungry, and a decrease in leptin--the hormone that makes you feel full.

• Walk more. Whether you're walking around the house or walking outside, walking increases your activity. You don't have to take a walk to walk more. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator or park further from the store and walk.

• Break your workout into several shorter sessions if you don't have time for a complete workout all at once. Studies show that three ten-minute sessions provide the same benefits as a 30-minute one.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete