Work From Home has become the new norm since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several pros and cons to this way of working but the most noticeable negative aspect is the blurring of boundaries between our professional life and personal life and the associated lack of adequate time for ourselves.
We tend to sit for long hours in front of our gadgets taking calls and attending meetings. We fail to pay attention to our physical activity requirements on a day-to-day basis. We neglect the warning signs like aches and sores until they become a real issue. We even ignore the fact that we are gaining weight and getting out of shape. We need to take remedial action now to ensure that Work From Home doesn’t pose a threat to our heart health and to our overall well-being. This post will focus on some exercises that can easily be done while working from home!
- Perform active movements or stretching of both upper and lower limbs at least for 5 to 10 minutes every hour
- Avoid prolonged sitting for more than 2-3 hours at a stretch by getting up from that place, taking a brisk walk or climbing 2 to 3 flights of stairs for 10 minutes
The illustrated exercises are a combination of active movements and stretches focusing on the major joints. They are:
- The Chin tucks and Head movements will help prevent neck pain which is often a result of prolonged sitting with the head in a particular position – 10 to 15 repetitions each
- The stretches focus on relieving tension in the major joints of the upper limbs, chest and back and to avoid muscle cramps and stiffness – hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds
- The lower limb exercises namely alternate leg lifts and ankle movements will help avoid stiffness, improve blood circulation, and especially to keep the calf muscles active as they are the peripheral heart in our body – 10 to 15 repetitions each
Pay attention to your work posture
Maintain correct posture while working on your devices to avoid back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries. Keeping a straight back and neck with your device at a proper height is important. As this may be a challenge at home as you may be working on your dining tables or sofas, try to sit straight and prop a pillow on your lap if you need to.
Performing the above exercises helps in:
- Preventing joint pains and muscle soreness
- Improving your mood
- Increasing your working ability
- Preventing chronic health issues
The current lifestyle change of working from home has given us an opportunity to get work done in spite of the ongoing pandemic. But we have to realize that it’s a double-edged sword that needs to be handled tactfully. A healthy home-cooked balanced diet, adequate exercise in between work commitments and sufficient sleep and relaxation are easier to achieve now than they were ever before but it’s completely in our hands whether we make use of them or ignore them until our health deteriorates. Let us take a pledge to keep ourselves healthy and spread positivity to others too!!
