Top 10 Best Exercises To Do While Working From Home
If you want to succeed as a home worker then you have to take care of yourself.
It’s all too easy to get stuck permanently behind a desk without exercising and getting more and more out of shape and unhappy.
Fortunately, we’ve got a bunch of excellent exercises to do while working from home so that you can feel on top of your game all of the time.
Begin By Spending Some Time Planking
Yes, we know it looks a bit silly but this isn’t meant for YouTube just for your health. To “plank” just clear a space on the floor to lay down on (you don’t move around much).
Then lift your head, torso and legs from the floor and keep your body straight (use your forearms and toes to prop yourself up).
Then hold for as long as you can and no, it’s not easy, particularly at first. But the more often you do it, the better you’ll be.
Leg Lifts Are Super Easy (Not)
Technically leg lifts are “easy” because you can do them at home without any equipment, in reality, they’re pretty tough.
Sit in a chair, raise your legs up straight in front of you and hold for a count of ten. Then put them down and repeat.
This is very strenuous to begin with and you won’t be able to repeat them often but it’s vital for revitalizing legs that spend all day under a desk.
Stationary Curls At Your Desk
Grab an unopened bottle of water and then hold it out in front of you so that your arm is straight and in parallel with your thigh.
Your palm should be facing up with the water bottle cradled in it.
Bend the elbow and curl your water bottle toward your chest.
Pause for a second or two.
Then return to the position you started in.
And then repeat 10-12 times.
This will get easier over time. When it does, swap the water bottle for something heavier.
Do Some Shoulder Blade Pinches At Your Desk
It’s very easy to leave your shoulders and even your torso out of your exercise regime but you really should loosen them up too.
Shoulder pinches are easy to do at the desk. And yes, they’re just as they sound, “punch” your shoulders into together.
Hold it for about 15 seconds and then let them return to their resting position. Repeat 10-12 times.
Get Up And Run On The Spot
Don’t forget cardio and no, you don’t even have to leave the home office to give yourself a cardio workout.
Running (or jogging) on the spot for 60 seconds non-stop is great exercise and if you do it every 45 minutes or so during the day? You’ll be feeling energetic and engaged all day long.
Get A Trampoline!
Believe it or not, trampolining is one of the best exercises that you can do, bouncing around puts no strain on your joints and it uses a lot of energy for you to stand up and jump.
Not only that but it’s said to help your lymphatic system discharge any poisons or toxins that have been building up in it.
It’s not the cheapest thing you can do at home, but a home trampoline, like the one linked below, isn’t that expensive either, particularly if you use it every day.
Find a great trampoline online here.
Skip Rope
If your budget won’t stretch to a trampoline, or you’re not convinced you have the balance for it, then why not start skipping?
It’s a very high energy workout and it’s fantastic for cardio, it will also help improve your balance and coordination.
Best of all you can buy an excellent skipping rope for less than $10, so it won’t break the bank at all.
Invest In A SPIN Bike
A stationary spin bike is the perfect way to exercise at home and in all weathers, while we prefer real cycling when the weather’s fine, we confess, we stay in when it’s pouring down.
You can get loads of spin instruction videos on YouTube for free if you’ve never used one of these bikes before too.
And while, again, they’re not free, they’re no longer anywhere near as expensive as they used to be and for $300-$400 you can buy a decent spin bike that will last for years.
Invest in a Spin bike online here.
Join An Online Yoga Class
Yoga is a great way of giving your whole body a gentle workout and it can easily be fitted around most home working schedules too.
You can even take an online yoga class so that you can learn safely in the comfort of your home office.
We recommend Gaia Yoga for a great range of programs.
Browse through some great online yoga classes online here.
Go For A Walk
Finally, if all else fails. Get out of the home office and go for a brisk walk. Just 20 minutes of walking a day can make all the difference to your health and happiness.
And walking is completely free!
Final Thoughts On Exercise While Working From Home
There are, of course, plenty of other forms of exercise that you can fit in easily within a home office environment but these should be enough to get you started.
We recommend that you set aside, at least, 30 minutes of each day to exercise if you want to function at your best.
If you’re looking for other ways to take care of your health while working from home check out how to meditate while working at home, our remote wellbeing tips and our guide to avoiding burnout as a remote worker.
