Send This Site to a Friend
Staying Fit While Working From Home
Lynn Bode
Web Site: Workouts For You -- Personal Training
Despite what many may think, being a work-from-home mom takes a
lot of time and a lot of work. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say,
“She doesn’t really have a job, she just works from home.” That
statement couldn’t be farther from the truth! Running a home
business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other
things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first
ones to drop is fitness.
When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems
to get clean and children who constantly need something, it’s
understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it
shouldn’t.
Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always
be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that
exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know
about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical
activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better – two
things that are especially beneficial to home business owners.
Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing
the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression.
Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent
osteoporosis. If that still doesn’t convince you to get moving,
then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem,
increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do
continuous work for longer. What more could a home business owner
ask for?
It all sounds great, right? But you still don’t think that you
can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape.
Don’t worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in. Below
are some tips to help you get started.
1. Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it’s so
easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this think of
yourself as having a traditional “office job”. In most “office
jobs” when you go home for the night you leave work behind and
concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you
may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries
in order to find time for you.
2. During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run
up and down the stairs (or even just walk). This will also help
rejuvenate your mind.
3. Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body,
especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you
can occasionally stand to do your computer work.
4. It’s not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for
working out. You’ll get just as much benefit if you break your
exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work,
10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read # 1 above
if you just said you have no “after work” time).
5. If you don’t won’t to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but
still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the
weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for
dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to
make dinner and you don’t have to compromise calories as you
would if you instead opted for take-out.
6. One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout
over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you
don’t have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take
with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can
instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you
don’t have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don’t
have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.
7. If you haven’t already done so, invest in a good hands-free
headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because
your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on
your conference call. You can even do some simple (but
worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, tricep
dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.
8. Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy
boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get
through some tough work. Don’t forget to keep water on hand and
sip some all throughout your day.
9. Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of
great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it’s also
beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a
chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help
build your core strength (your trunk area).
10. Don’t forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of
minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.
As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a
small amount of effort. And when you exercise, you also set a
great example for your kids. So, to help you, your business, and
your family it’s time to stop making excuses and just start
moving!
@ Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved.
Written by Lynn Bode: wife, mother and owner of Workouts For You.
© Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Workouts For You offers
online personalized exercise programs to assist with weight loss,
strength training, nutritional planning, and race training. The
programs are customized to meet your individual needs based on
your lifestyle and include an accountability system to help keep
you motivated to stay on track. You receive all the benefits and
personal attention of a trainer without the expensive price tag,
and the convenience of working out wherever and whenever you
want. To receive a FREE fitness evaluation including a free
FITscription, visit us at http://www.workoutsforyou.com
Find More Related Info:
Also See:
Our Health and Wellness Center