Tips to Keep You Healthy While You Work From Home | Tennessee Valley Urology Center

Though Tennessee’s stay-home order meant to stymie the spread of the novel coronavirus ended months ago, the recent surge in our area has many who do office jobs working from home still or again.

That interruption in daily routine can create bad habits that lead to negative health outcomes, including weight gain and conditions that result from a sedentary lifestyle.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help minimize the potential negative impacts working from home can have on both body and mind!

Stay Healthy During WFH

Office work is often sedentary even when you’re in the building, so you may think there isn’t that much change in your physical activity in working from home.

However, many people don’t think about the steps they get in walking into and out of work, running little errands around the building, and on their trips to and from lunch. (Because you do get away from your desk and take an actual break for lunch, right?)

However, the fact there is so much time dedicated to sitting still in both settings means these tips will come in handy when you return to the office or even if you never left it.

1. Get up. A great way to stay active throughout the day is to get in five minutes of movement every hour, whether that’s stretching, doing jumping jacks or just walking around the house. It may not seem like much, but there’s a reason your smartwatch reminds you to get on your feet every hour: We know it makes a difference.

2. Stretch. The soreness and stiffness of sitting for long periods of time are not only uncomfortable, but they also give you excuses to not exercise when you can. You can combat them by doing simple stretches throughout the day or starting the morning with yoga or a similar routine.

3. Exercise. This one’s just all-around good advice, but you may find you need to be especially intentional about it when you’re working from home. Set a time each day to get in some exercise. Research shows there are benefits specific to working out in the morning and evening, so pick the one that matches your goals and get to work!

4. Sneak in movement. With the prying eyes of your co-workers far away, there’s no one to judge you for sneaking in a little movement while you work. You may feel weird jogging in place while you read a report in an open-concept office, but it’s unlikely your canine or feline WFH companions will judge you. Find little ways to get in some movement throughout the day while you work.

5. Improvise. So your gym is closed and you don’t know what to do. We have good news for you: The whole world is now your gym. Trade the treadmill or stationary bike for real-world running or riding. Replace free weights with books, reams of paper or even hoisting kids or pets. Look for ways to make the most of what’s still available to you.

At Tennessee Valley Urology Center, we’re all about helping you achieve whole-body health. If you have a urological issue you want to discuss, schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified specialists today!