Why is an Exercise Routine Important when Working from Home?
Remote work has gained momentum over the past few years, especially since the outbreak of Coronavirus. It benefits employees in so many ways. It increases workplace flexibility, satisfaction, and productivity.
However, remote work always leads to an unbalanced lifestyle. Too much sitting, sleep disorders, and improper diet can cause many health problems, such as obesity and mental fatigue.
In this article, we discover why regular exercises are important while working from home.
Controlling your Ideal Body Weight
According to research studies, you need to spend 60 minutes exercising every day to combat the risks of excessive sitting. Along with a proper diet, regular exercise helps you control body weight and prevent the risk of obesity.
Strength training, such as CrossFit or weightlifting, is super-effective when it comes to losing weight. These exercises keep your muscles strong and help you burn more calories. Strength training workouts also boost your metabolic rate, which plays an essential role in long-term weight management. In the era of online sports classes, you can learn which exercise type meets your needs the best.
Increasing Productivity and Morale
Mental fatigue goes far beyond just feeling tired. It causes a range of problems, including a lack of motivation and concentration issues. It usually goes together with physical exhaustion.
That is where exercising helps. It improves lung function and increases the circulation of oxygen through the blood. By enhancing the blood flow to the brain, you sharpen your awareness and maximize cognitive skills.
Namely, human cells contain mitochondria, which are their energy factories. They produce ATP, the chemical the body uses as energy. Workouts stimulate the creation of new mitochondria within your cells, meaning your body will produce more ATP. As a result, your body gets more energy that boosts your overall mental well-being and output.
By spending most of the day sitting, you do not use your lower body muscles to hold you up. That may lead to the weakening of your muscle mass, also known as muscle atrophy.
Another problem many remote workers face is back pain. Poor posture and the use of furniture that is not ergonomic may also lead to chronic back pain. They often cause compression on the discs in your spine and result in premature degeneration.
Fortunately, you can reduce back pain by incorporating a daily stretching routine. The goal is to strengthen the spine, relax muscles, and boost overall flexibility. Stretching exercises also serve as a natural pain relief solution by loosening muscles, increasing circulation, and nourishing the spine.
Most importantly, exercising increases back resilience by strengthening the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joints. The synovial membrane that surrounds your joints produces a fluid that protects your bones.
Expanding your Social Circle
Remote work comes with a range of benefits, such as greater productivity and enhanced flexibility. However, it can affect your mental health. Remote employees often feel lonely or dissatisfied.
That is where taking up a team sport or joining the gym may help you. By working out with a group of people, you will gain a sense of belonging and make new friends.
Improving the Quality of Sleep
Remote workers often find it difficult to balance their private and professional lives. Statistics back me up on that. Namely, four out of five workers find it hard to “shut off” in the evenings.
The lack of work-life balance affects many aspects of your life, including the quality of your sleep. According to the same study, 50% of employees claim that their sleep patterns have been interrupted due to COVID-19.
Regular workouts improve sleep for many people. Namely, moderate exercises boost sleep quality by reducing your sleep onset. Additionally, an exercise routine can improve daytime sleepiness and minimize the need for sleep medications.
How to Start Working Out while Working from Home
Setting up an exercising routine takes time and lots of strategizing. Here are a few steps to take:
- Schedule a workout into your calendar.
- Promote wellbeing and offer incentives for healthy behaviors.
- Look for reasons to get up, such as walking while you are on the phone.
- Find the exercise that motivates you. For instance, you may want to find the program you can do from your home, such as yoga, squats, or planks.
Over to You
Regular exercising is an essential part of any remote worker’s life. Those are just some of its numerous benefits.
How often do you work out while working from your home? We are listening!