Easy tips on how to stay active while working from home. via Kaiser Permanente

If you’re one of the many people working from home, you may be finding it difficult to get enough movement into your day.

You also may have heard that sitting is the new smoking. Unfortunately, with so many of us staying at home these days, we may be sitting more than ever. And when you sit all day, the lack of activity could lead to back and joint pain, and more serious problems like high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

While doing a home workout after your workday can be an essential part of staying healthy, it doesn’t solve the whole problem.

“Our bodies are designed to move, so even regular exercise isn’t going to counteract the damaging effects of sitting at your desk all day,” says Dr. Caroline King-Widdall, a Kaiser Permanente family medicine physician in Salem, Oregon.

To reduce the effects of a sedentary work routine, Dr. King-Widdall recommends taking simple steps to include more activity throughout the day.

Here are some tips that can help:

  • If possible, work at a standing desk. If you don’t have one available to use at home, try standing more throughout the day — for example, when you’re eating lunch, talking on the phone, or teleconferencing. I recommend the affordable standing desk from Autonomous (https://www.autonomous.ai/standing-desks/smartdesk-2-home).

  • Even if you can’t go far, getting up and walk around a bit every hour. Consider setting the alarm to remind yourself to move regularly during the workday. Just taking the time to walk through each room of your home can help.

  • At night, instead of sinking into the couch to watch television, use an exercise ball to get some extra movement in for the day.

  • Give yourself credit for the steps you take during the day. If you set realistic goals, wearing an activity tracker to measure your progress might make sense. If you start standing and moving around your home more, you’ll see your activity level rise.

Incorporate these habits into your daily routine to get your body moving throughout the day. They can be a great way to stay active and help maintain good health while working from home.

Kaiser Permanente

Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.
Brenda Billings, principal consultant and CEO of UrbanSculpt, is a Health Educator focusing on issues related to nutrition counseling, body aesthetics, positive sexuality, and women’s self-empowerment issues. The organization's aim is to provide life-in-balance training, products, and services with a focus on solution based results to the many challenges facing the modern urban woman. Prior to UrbanSculpt, Brenda was a Founder, Chief Marketing Officer and content editor for DZineMedia, LLC., an entertainment and original content management company located in Silicon Valley. As principal she also oversaw day to day management, marketing, and content procurement efforts for Erotique!, a literary webzine and pioneering female-centric, online community focusing on cutting edge photography, the arts, poetry, original fiction and pop culture. In addition to her professional experience, Brenda was a founding board member of HCAA, a non-profit organization founded in cooperation with the City of San Jose. Its aims included: improving legal rights education, reducing inner-city blight, increasing volunteerism, and the encouragement of urban renewal. Brenda's educational background includes having graduated cum laude with a Master of Science in Health Science from TUI. She graduated summa cum laude from Touro College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science Education specializing in Environmental Heath. She also holds a degree in Humanities / Art History from City College of San Francisco as well as honors certificates in both Nutrition Counseling and Multimedia & Digital Arts form San Jose City College
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