Staying Fit While Working From Home
Any working professional understands that between their job obligations and life’s other demands, it’s hard to find time to work out. Although working from home might seem to offer a more flexible routine conducive to regular exercise, sometimes it has the opposite effect precisely because of the location. Getting out of the house and commuting to work can make it easier to fit in a small detour to the gym. But when you’re working at home, you don’t have that daily opportunity to get your workout in.
But the problem with that mindset is that you don’t have to get out of the house to get your requisite exercise. By re-envisioning how exercise can fit into the home — even into your daily routines — you can infuse your daily life with more activity and make regular exercise attainable once again. That exercise may come in forms other than what you’re used to, but it will keep you body fit and healthy and your weight goals within reach.
Turning daily routines into exercise opportunities
It may seem corny, but there are a number of ways you can turn everyday activities into moderate exercise routines. If your home has stairs, this is one of the easiest sources of exercise. Whether you aim to walk up and down them periodically during the day or if you want to use them for a concentrated period of exercise, stairs will give you a cardio workout in short order.
Other workouts that might be useful is couch kicks, in which you use the couch for stability while kicking backward to workout the legs and buttocks, and short, quick bursts of exercise fit into commercial breaks. Not a big TV watcher? You can always put on a workout video and go along with the instruction.
Invest in a home gym
Maybe getting outside and going to the gym isn’t a practical goal. If that’s the case but you still prefer gym-style workouts, a home gym setup may be the way to go. It only takes a few pieces of exercise equipment to provide enough variety to get a full-body workout in the comfort of your own home.
Some of the more fundamental exercise equipment includes a free weight set, including a weight bench, curling bar and dumbbells. For cardio, consider a treadmill or an alternative aerobic exercise machine such as an exercise bike or elliptical. There are also free-standing weight machines that you can bring into your home, if you prefer that type of setup. Whatever the case, don’t be afraid to devote a room of your home to exercise; your improved quality of life and maintained physical fitness will serve as repayment for the commitment.
Encourage active video games among your kids — and play along
Video games aren’t sedentary activities anymore. Many game consoles have motion-sensor games and other technology that gets kids moving, often intensely. Whether it’s a dancing video game, a sports game or even a game devoted to promoting physical fitness and weight loss, accept the challenge and compete with your children to enjoy bonding time while also getting in a solid workout. It may seem unorthodox, but in this day and age active video games are practical solutions to the exercise needs of the chronically indoors.
Working from home may present unique challenges when you’re seeking out ways to fit exercise into your routine, but similarly unique solutions may be just what the doctor ordered. With more and more moms staying home while maintaining a professional career, it’s important to consider ways to maintain a high quality of living. Moms may be juggling a million different things, but it’s important that they remember to make time for themselves and stay active for their long-term benefit.
Cassie is a lover of yoga and the arts. In her free time, she enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other great brands she loves.