tips for staying active while working from home
Movement is key when you’re stuck inside
Update: This post is part of our COVID-19 Resource Guide. We are publishing articles and Channel Mastery podcasts during the pandemic with tips, guides, and resources with the goal of helping your brand and business navigate the crisis. Visit our RESOURCE GUIDE>
Working from home can be tricky. When your kitchen table becomes your desk, your living room becomes your conference room, and your family or roommates are all of a sudden your coworkers (you may be hearing their ‘work voice’ for the first time!) - it’s easy to feel the lines between work and life blurring beyond distinction. Luckily, we’re well versed in #WFHlife at Verde, and have some tips we want to continue to share. Our first (and most important) recommendation - don’t forget to move! Exercise, even if it’s brief, can increase your productivity, mood, and overall well-being - which will all hopefully make figuring out that work/life balance a little easier. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to burn some extra calories throughout the day.
Set easy + attainable goals.
There’s no need to go all out during your lunch break - small movements for short amounts of time can be just as effective in the long run as a non-stop workout.
Here are some recommendations from our team:
Jumping jacks: Before you sit down at your desk, start off your day with 50 jumping jacks. Get in a few extra reps throughout the day between conference calls.
Stand on one leg: If you have a standing desk - try alternating between standing on one leg. This one’s great for balance and strength. This is important to think about, especially considering you’re mostly likely not wearing shoes, which normally offer support. Don't have a standing desk? Putting your laptop on a box or stack of books does the trick for our team! As a general rule of thumb, your your standing desk should sit at about elbow height (another way to think about it is to ensure your elbows are at a 90 degree position from the floor). See more tips for best practices on standing desks here.
Kitchen lunges: With the kitchen so close, it’s easy to keep snacking more than you would at your office. For every time you want to open the fridge, do lunges all the way there from your desk.
Stretch and look away: Before conference calls, take some time to look away from your screen and stretch.
Low reps, full body movement: If you really want to challenge yourself - try doing low reps of a harder movement several times throughout the day. Let’s say you did 10 burpees 5 times over the course of one workday - that’d end up being 50 burpees a day. If you did this for a full work week, you’d have done 250 burpees!
Words with Friends: It’s critical to give your ‘work mind’ a break. Starting a new game, like Words with Friends can offer a brief reprise from emails and spreadsheets. Plus, it’s a quick and easy way to connect with friends virtually!
Keep it fun.
Especially during our current newscycle, it’s easy to feel a little down. Staying active doesn’t have to be something you dread - make a game out of it, or bring the family or rest of your office in on it!
I challenge you! Challenge your team to a weekly (or daily) pushup contest. Send out a recurring calendar invite and see who can do the most! Utilize technology so exercise doesn’t feel lonely.
Prizes that give back: Participants can pitch in to buy the winner a gift certificate to their local outdoor/running shop – give back to your community through your competition!
“At a previous job, we did a month-long pushup challenge. We sent out a recurring meeting invite for 3pm pushups. At 3 pm, everyone would get up and do ten pushups. It was fun and everyone felt refreshed.”
- Chris Dickerson, Verde Director of Digital
For the parents: If you have kids, you’ll inspire them to move if you are. They’re used to getting up between classes - so set an alarm and encourage them to get moving to burn off some energy between subjects. Dancing is highly encouraged. In addition, if you’re on a call with a client or coworker and you see kids in the background, why not ask them to show them how high they can jump and to show you their best dance move?
Need inspiration?
Here are some ideas from a few of our clients who are offering fitness and wellness resources for us all to take advantage of.
Balega is hosting workouts via Facebook Live every day. Join a different ambassador each day for a different type of workout - yoga, pilates, strength, and HIIT are just a few of the options.
Under Armour is encouraging people to come together - virtually - by staying healthy no matter where you are, with a “Healthy at Home Challenge” on their app, MyFitnessPal. Simply log 12 workouts before April 21st, and Under Armour will donate $1 for every sign-up to support Good Sports’ efforts in ensuring youth sport leagues have the necessary equipment, footwear, and apparel. *potentially streaming live athlete workouts as early as next week
Gregory Mountain Products has created a Facebook group where they’ll offer up tips on taking care of gear and highlighting yoga and fitness classes their ambassadors will be leading.
While not necessarily fitness related - taking care of your brain is just as important as taking care of your body. Check out Open Sky Wilderness Therapy’s online meditation series to get a quick refresh after a long day of work.
Take time to rehab your muscles or warm up properly before a virtual workout class. If you have a foam roller at home - TriggerPoint’s blog is a great resource for the what’s, why’s, and how’s of foam rolling and fascia release.
Don’t forget the basics.
Stay hydrated: Can you drink 60oz of water throughout the day?
Breathe: In through the nose, out through the mouth.
If you can, take a break from your screen, head outside and walk around the block for some fresh air.