The Importance of Movement Throughout the Day

Since the pandemic, millions of people have transitioned into permanently working from home. Although this has a range of benefits, including reduced travel time and costs, working from home can come with its downsides.

The most prominent drawback to remote working is the lack of movement that it can cause. When you no longer need to get ready and travel to work, it can significantly reduce your total daily movement.

Whether you work in a house or apartment, your home office is likely just a few steps away from your bedroom. Each morning, you can roll out of bed and start working without taking more than 50 steps.

Although this is okay in the short term, this lack of movement can have detrimental effects on your health in the long term.

So, what can you do to start moving more each day if you are working from home at the moment? Here are some top tips.

Walk Around During Calls

If you have a lot of calls during the day, get up and walk around your room as you are talking to your co-workers. You can do the same when you are in online meetings that don’t require video.

Taking a walk during your meetings will increase your daily steps and overall level of movement.

Do a HIIT Workout During Your Lunch Break

If you get 30 to 60 minutes each day for lunch, spend half of this time doing a high-intensity interval training workout.

Since you are in the comfort of your own home, you can quickly change into your workout gear at the start of your lunch break and squeeze in a great workout. After this, you can sit down and enjoy your lunch before resuming your work.

Get a Standing Desk

Standing is less comfortable than sitting, so you will naturally fidget more (and therefore move more) when you are working at a standing desk.  One study even found that workers using standing desks were more productive!   Of course, some tasks are not conducive to working at a standing desk.  If possible, try alternating between sitting and standing.