How to keep fit while working from home

Research from Currys PC World has suggested that the average Brit spends around 67 hours a week sitting down. Now that more people are working from home than ever before, FitBit, in collaboration with James Stirling (The London Fitness Guy) have shared their tips on how to stay physically and mentally fit during this time. 

The coronavirus has altered the way we live and work dramatically. Alongside wearing masks in the shops and social distancing, working from home has quickly become the ‘new normal’. 

While university students may not have had much of a taste of it so far, a partial continuation of online learning in September will mean that they too will spend a lot of their time working from home. 

The reality is, working from home will be the norm for the foreseeable future, so keeping fit and healthy (both mentally and physically) is essential. With routines out of whack, you’ll need to stay active while still working from your sofa, dining table or kitchen counter.

How a daily workout can help fight WFH stress

Before the coronavirus pandemic, 72% of Brits said that they felt stressed during the working week, with 24% of people stating that exercise helped relieve this tension. 

Now, throw in the extra stresses of working from home, for example, looking after young children, household chores or simply staying safe from a global pandemic, and it’s probably not looking good for your physical and mental health. 

Interestingly, 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day can reduce symptoms of depression by 19% and 20 minutes of aerobic exercise reduces stress and makes you more resilient to all forms of stressors (like a pandemic.)

Getting a good workout has loads of health benefits, both mental and physical, but that doesn’t mean spending hours following fitness videos or running marathons. It could include anything that you can safely do within government guidelines, like going for a walk, gardening, stretching or dancing. The World Health Organisation recommends that you should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, so make it as enjoyable as possible. 

Here are four tips from James Stirling on how to incorporate exercise into your daily work from home routine:

1. Walk while you talk. If you have any important phone calls with colleagues, lecturers or other students, why not take them on-the-go?
2. Go for a walk or a run during your lunch break. There is nothing better for your brain than going outside and doing some exercise during a long days work. 
3. Set reminders and alarms on your phone or Fitbit to prompt movement away from the desk. Put those devices to good use!
4. Regularly stretch at the desk and work the muscles that don’t get used while sitting down.

Click here to read the full report from Currys PC World.

Feature image credit: @bruno_nascimento – Unsplash

Written by Jessica Goddard