9 Tips On How To Stay Fit And Keep Active While Working From Home
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
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Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many organizations and companies have given their employees the option to work from home rather than from the office. It can often get difficult for your body to adjust to this new routine. Our lifestyles were already quite sedentary before, but now things have started to get even worse. However, there are many ways to stay fit and keep our bodies healthy even when things might not be looking so. In fact, many of these steps are super simple, and you can even do these in the comfort of your own home. Here are nine tips on staying fit while working from home:
1. Fix Your Body Clock
Working from home can pose a major challenge to your body clock. Back when you worked in your office, you had a proper schedule to follow. Why not turn every day into a daily schedule like you did back during school vacation breaks? You can design a daily timetable to ensure that you get at least 6-8 hours of sleep as well as make time for fun activities like painting or reading. In fact, if you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s a good idea to read before your bedtime and maintain a proper bedtime schedule even on weekends.
2. Track Your Steps
Investing in a fitness tracker is a great idea and can help you keep count of all the steps you take. You can get the kind that sends you an alert or buzzes when you’ve been inactive for a few minutes and reminds you to get up and stretch. Or if you’re someone who always keeps their phone in their pocket, tracking your steps can also help you get up and move around the house.
3. Be Mindful Of Your Caffeine Intake
Caffeine can really disrupt your sleep cycle. Consuming too much of it is not a good idea as it can leave you feeling super dehydrated and leave you with digestion issues. The tannins and caffeine present in coffee and tea can have an impact on your body, and using too much cream, milk, and sugar in your drinks can also add to the calories (1).
4. Drink Loads Of Water
Every person who’s serious about their fitness and weight loss will advise you to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. It’s easy to forget the importance of hydration when you’re stuck indoors. Don’t forget that our bodies are made up of at least 70 percent water. You can also snack on some healthy, hydrating fruits like watermelon, oranges, muskmelon, and so on.
5. Plan Your Meal Timings
If you’re someone who only eats when they are hungry, it is time to stop doing that. Following a proper diet and a well-rounded eating schedule is important to get the right kind of nutrients. Now that you don’t have to commute to work anymore, you can use that extra time in your day to make some delicious and healthy home-cooked meals for yourself and nurture your cooking skills.
6. Eat Healthy Snacks
If you’re someone who loves to snack, then it is important that you eat healthy. Get rid of all that junk food and check out online stores for healthier alternatives. Even if you go to your local hypermarket, you’ll probably find tonnes of healthy snack options that will be extremely beneficial to your health. You can make conscious food choices and pick foods like dry fruits, puffed rice, makhana, and many more.
7. Cook Your Own Food
Add some healthy oats, fruits, fibrous foods, protein, and vegetables into your diet to make sure that all your daily needs and requirements are met. Avoid food with high sugar and sodium content as those types of food can add on the pounds pretty fast. By cooking yourself, you can control the amount of sugar and salt you put in the food and plan out your healthy food meals better.
8. Take 10 Minute Walking/Stretching Breaks
While this might be difficult for some people, especially during this time, it is important to take breaks from your regular routine every now and then. Taking a nice 10-minute walk in a neighborhood park is great as it will also give your body time to relax and take a breather. Even if you can’t take a walk in the park, you can do some yoga or stretches to make your body feel more at ease.
9. Switch Off Before Bedtime
The blue light that is emitted from our laptop screens can be pretty harsh on our eyes. Instead of staying up late and watching films, you should unwind and switch off or put away any devices that might be causing you an eyesore. Instead, pick up a healthy hobby like reading (from an actual book, not an e-book, as that still puts pressure on your eyes). You can take this time to switch off and relax. Even meditating before bed is a great way to relax before bedtime and have better sleep.
Despite the circumstances, it is important to follow a good schedule and maintain discipline when it comes to following healthy habits. This won’t happen overnight, and you need to make sure that you follow through with any and all promises you make. Use this year to become a healthier version of yourself. Please let us know all your thoughts on these tips in the comment section below.
