Staying active while working from home

Written by Cynthia Weiss of Mayo Clinic News Network on March 18, 2021.

May 6, 2021

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have been working from home for months now. I want to start being more active, especially because my work often requires that I sit at my desk for long periods of time. Are there any easy ways for me to add fitness into my home routine?

ANSWER: Sitting at a desk all day can be harder than it sounds. Sitting in one position for a long period of time puts a lot of strain on the body, and can leave you feeling stiff, sore and tired.

An easy way to break this cycle is by getting up to move every half-hour or so. This could mean simply standing up and walking to the kitchen for a drink of water. Or if you have stairs in the home, walk up and down a few times to get some movement.

You also can stand and perform stretches while on a Zoom call. If you aren’t required to be on video all the time, consider donning a pair of headphones and walking around your home as you listen to a conference call.

A small amount of movement and stretching throughout the day can help you stay alert and focused. Consider these basic stretches that can be performed as often or as little as you want from the comfort of your home-based work area:

As you look to add more activity, be creative. Being active at home does not require you to invest in large pieces of exercise equipment. Consider these five inexpensive home fitness equipment items:

Although working from home may now be your norm, it can make exercising seem difficult. Try stretches and inexpensive workout equipment to increase your health and fitness from home.

Originally posted on Mayo Clinic News Network.

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