A lot of people say that working from home is one of the best work setups. I couldn’t agree more to this since it does have perks that onsite work doesn’t offer. For one, we can choose to dress down on certain days or dress up when we feel like going the extra mile to look good. Morning persons can start work early, while late wake-uppers can start a bit later in the day. Mums can easily switch roles throughout the day to ensure the kids are taken care of and work gets done. This is pretty much the same for studying. The list goes on, but we can sum up working from home in a few words—comfortable, convenient and fulfilling.
Unfortunately, this same comfort and convenience can lead to complacency. Because we got everything we need at home, and the fact that we juggle work and family life, we tend to forget to stay fit and exercise. This is as important as getting every bit of work done at home because too much sitting can lead to heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes, and weight gain. In fact, one study shows that people who sit all day have a 40% increased chance of dying early.
The good news? We can actually do some exercise moves even while we’re seated at the desk. Interested? Read on and find out how you can exercise while studying or working from home.
1. Arm pulses
When working, the most strained body part is almost always the hands and arms. Give it a little exercise by doing arm pulses. Simply stand up and go a bit farther from your desk to give your arms some space to move. Then, place your arms straight at the sides with the palms facing backwards. To pulse, move your arms to the back and then back again to the original position the same way the hands of a grandfather’s clock move. Do this for twenty seconds. This is good for stretching your shoulder muscles and working your triceps.
2. Arm circles
Remember in grade school when your fitness teacher used to ask the class to make arm circles? You never knew it would come in handy at this age while working from home, right? So, stand with feet apart, extend your arms straight to the side at shoulder height, then move your arms around in circles. Do this for twenty seconds.
3. Wall push-ups
We don’t have to make push-ups very strenuous. Just stand a few steps away from the wall, place your hands flat and wider than your shoulders, and start leaning toward it. Push back up until your arms are straight, then repeat. You’ll feel your shoulder and arm muscles definitely get stronger.
4. Chair squats
In between diaper changes, meetings, conference calls, and housework, do these chair squats to work your glutes. Simply stand up and lower your body down. Stop where you’re almost in a sitting position, then, go back up again. Make sure to keep the pressure on your heels. Do this 10 times.
5. Pretend jump rope
We’ve done upper and lower body exercises already. Now, let’s get our entire body moving with this pretend jump rope. If you have a jump rope and a lot of space around you, then you can certainly go for that. Just make sure you’re not going to hit the vases or the kids!
If you prefer the pretend version, just stand up, position your hands as if you are holding a rope, and hop on both feet at once or alternately. Do this for 20 seconds or more, depending on your stamina.
You see? There’s no excuse for not exercising while working from home. So now you can change your routine to work/study, care for the family, and exercise. Repeat.
