Daily physical activity is good for our body and mind. Movement increases blood flow, our daily mood and productivity. Working from home has led to an increase in sedentary behaviors. It is easier to sit for a longer period of time without noticing what time it is. This decrease in activity can contribute to an increased risk of mortality and weight gain. For example, sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of blood clots and cardiac complications.
According to the 2021 American Community Survey, the number of people working remotely has tripled. Another analysis conducted by Statista comparing 2019 to Q4 2022 showed that hybrid work increased by 21%, remote work increased by 18%, and on-site work decreased by 39%. There’s a growing concern that working from home can promote less movement, and can also increase feelings of isolation, fatigue, and anxiety. However, a little planning can help you stay active and healthy while working from home. Incorporating more movement into your day doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
Schedule It: include time for movement in your work calendar. It can be a 5-minute yoga session or a 20-minute walk. The goal is to build this into your work day.
Move Every Hour: Set an alarm with a reminder to move. Refill your water bottle, play with your pet, or grab a snack. You can also incorporate any of these five movements while sitting.
Walk During Phone Calls: when possible, this can give your legs a much needed movement break. Six 10-minute calls a day add up to an hour of movement!
Optimize Your Workplace: employers are incorporating sit-to-stand desks to promote movement throughout the day; don’t forget to use it! You can also consider an under-desk treadmill to add more movement as you type away.
Subscribe to a Community-Based Platform: it can be difficult to find motivation when you are sitting alone. Digital health platforms, like Treo Wellness, have incorporated movement, mindfulness, nutrition, and community into one place.
Try On-Demand Yoga: working from home can be stressful. Yoga can help decrease stress and improve productivity, memory, and mental health. Even fifteen minutes of chair-based yoga can have tremendous benefits.
Start a Team Challenge: encourage your team to work towards a common goal! Using the AHA recommendations, challenge each other to an average of 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity and resistance training activities twice per week.
Discuss Coaching and Education Options: you don’t know what you don’t know! Talk with your peers about the health implications of working from home. Come up with strategies to be more active. If you are in a leadership position, employees appreciate knowing that their organization cares about their health just as much as their productivity.
Working remotely can allow for more flexibility with your time. Take advantage of short periods of time throughout the day to move your body and reap the benefits.
A single exercise session also improves how you feel about yourself. It increases self-efficacy, the belief that you can influence the outcomes of important tasks. As your heart rate climbs, you release a feel-good brain chemical that helps us learn and remember. This is the same feel-good chemical that is increased by antidepressant medications, so exercise is our natural way of feeling better.
To support users of Treo Wellness further with what you do, we are adding on-demand fitness content for all fitness levels. There will be a variety of content for on and off equipment workouts to support everyone with what they need. By providing physical activity content within our platform along with breath work, mindfulness, and sleep stories, we are ensuring our users of the platform have access to a variety of workouts and stress releasing activities that gets them healthy from the inside out and supporting them with what they do.
Treo Wellness provides the tools to incorporate healthier habits that are long-lasting, even while working remotely. Interested in learning how your team can benefit from these engaging options? Send us an email with your needs and interests at info@treowellness.com.
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