Working remotely became an increasingly accepted practice during the global COVID-19 pandemic which forced people out of their traditional workplaces and into their home offices (or their dining room tables!). While working from home certainly has its benefits, cutting out the commute to and from work also had certain disadvantages. One of which was reducing a person’s level of movement bearing in mind that for some office workers, the walk to the bus stop or wandering around the workplace stop was as much exercise as they’d get.
Unfortunately, leading a sedentary lifestyle has become a norm in the 21st century. A testament to this is the ever-increasing obesity epidemic in the US. Yet, the sad reality is, that many hobbies people practice don’t particularly encourage much physical activity either. Even if you’ve got the luxury to work from home, it’s easy to fall into the trap of remaining on your pc to watch a video or play an online slot offering the latest no deposit bonus codes in 2022.
As a general rule of thumb, regardless of whether or not you have a gym membership or actively participate in any form of sport, everyone should aim to cover 10,000 steps each day. Like it or not, this is somewhat easier to achieve when you work at a traditional office – where you are forced to commute or at least be more inclined to walk to a cafe at lunchtime. 10.000 steps can feel as daunting as the prospect of summiting Everest when you are working from home.
However, all is not lost. Here are some top tips to help you achieve the recommended 10K steps a day if you work remotely:
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Keep Track of Your Steps
First things first, how are you expected to know whether you are anywhere close to achieving 10,000 steps a day when you aren’t tracking your movements. A good way to motivate yourself is by recording your progress. Whether you opt for a form of wearable technology such as a FitBit or Apple Watch or find an app for your smartphones such as Strava or Run keeper, tracking your movement is crucial in terms of getting you up and about. What’s more these tools allow us to compete with friends which is brilliant for accountability.
Consider A Standing Desk
Those of us who sit in front of a computer all day are prone to several health conditions including back pain, weight gain and heart disease. One way to reduce risks is to invest in a standing desk. These are proven to have several health benefits and will certainly encourage you to get moving.
Get A Dog
Working from home can be a solitary pursuit for some. This is part of the reason why the number of people adopting dogs during the pandemic increased. Not only are dogs known to be fiercely loyal and a ton of fun to have around but giving humans a reason to get out and about is another thing they do really well. If you aren’t ready for the commitment of being a dog owner, why not be helpful and offer to walk your friend or neighbor’s pooch, instead? It’ll certainly help you reach your step goal for the day.
Take Walk Breaks
When we work in a traditional office space, we tend to move around without thinking too much about it. Whether it’s to walk to the water cooler, wander over to a colleague’s desk or take a stroll to the shops at lunchtime, these little walk breaks add up. However, when we work from home it is easier to become sedentary. For instance, you might end up spending your lunch break in from of the TV rather than walking to a cafe as you would at the office. Getting into good habits is important so try to schedule formal walk breaks during your day. Whether that involves walking to the shops or going for a brisk lunchtime stroll, make a routine of it.
Get A Change of Scenery
As COVID regulations ease, working remotely no longer means working on your couch. Why not change your environment a few times a week by working from a local cafe or co-working space. This will ensure you have some sort of commute each day and as long as your chosen venue is within walking distance you can rest assured you’ll be adding to the step count.
As more and more people take up desk jobs, being sedentary becomes normalized. However, it is important to incorporate some movement into each and every day. This doesn’t have to be vigorous exercise but aiming to reach 10,000 steps a day is a useful target to set yourself, even if you work from home. So try to incorporate some of these tips into your routine and see how it changes your lifestyle and overall health.
