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Daily Exercises For People Who Work From Home

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Regular exercise is hard to get in. Our lives are jam-packed with responsibilities and random things are always popping up to derail our day. However, exercise is critical to keeping us healthy and happy. If you work from home, you have an advantage when it comes to getting exercise. There are things you can do throughout the day to get exercise without hurting your productivity.

Calf Raises

This is an exercise that works the calf muscles in the back of your lower legs. To do these normally, you would simply stand up and rise onto your toes, squeeze and then go back down. This would be repeated multiple times. Now, you can modify this so that it can be done as you sit at your desk and work. Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the floor and then just squeeze your calves and push up until you are on your toes. You are basically doing a regular calf raise, but are doing it sitting down.

Lunging Around

When you get up to use the restroom or a refill on your beverage, instead of just walking from one spot to the next, do lunges. As you step forward, make your stride a bit longer and lower the knee of your other leg to the floor, but keep it about two to three inches from the ground. Then, you just switch legs, so you are making your way toward wherever you are going. If you do this every time you get up and need to grab something or use the restroom, you will be able to get in at least a couple dozen lunges each day, which will really help in toning and strengthening your legs.

Situps

Sit-ups are effective for the abdominal muscles. When we are working at home, we have to get up and move at least every hour or two, or else we are just going to get stiff and tired. Every time you get up, do 10 to 12 sit-ups. Be sure not to rush through them and squeeze your abdominal muscles as you sit up.

Getting Great Arms

There are two exercises that you should do for the arms so that the total arm is worked. These can be done on your little work breaks where you are also doing your situps. So, start with pushups. You can do them normally or the one with your knees on the ground. Like the situps, do 10 to 12 of these. Next, you want to do some chair dips. Use a chair that is not on wheels and one that does not spin. A dining room chair is often ideal. Sit in the chair and put your hands on the part you sit on. Move forward to a point where your bottom is no longer on the chair, but your hands are. Next, just dip down and use your arms to pull yourself back up. Do 10 to 12 of these each time.

Squats

Squats will work your legs and glutes. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and then slowly lower yourself until your knees are bent just above a 90-degree angle. For example, bend your knees as if there was a chair behind you and you are trying to sit on it. Be sure to keep your back straight and practice proper posture. Once you are down, squeeze your glutes and then slowly rise back up, continuing to squeeze your glutes.

Plank

This is another abdominal exercise that is effective in strengthening and toning your core. Lie on the floor, right on your stomach. Next, push yourself up onto your elbows and toes. Now, you just squeeze your abdominal muscles and hold this as long as you can while breathing normally. You will definitely feel the burn. Doing this just two times throughout your workday will help in building your core.

Do a Little Jogging

You do not even have to leave your home office to do this. Since you need to move throughout the day to stay alert and focused, jogging for just five minutes at a time can help. It is a good idea to get up every two hours and then just jog in place for five minutes. At the end of a normal eight to 10-hour workday, you will have jogged for 20 to 25 minutes. This will give you a pretty decent cardiovascular workout, even though it is split up into smaller sessions.

Stretch It Out

Sitting in front of a computer all day will eventually lead to a sore neck and shoulders. To help combat this, we should stretch. It is important to stretch your back, arms, abdominal muscles, and legs equally. If you spend five to 10 minutes during your workday to get some stretching in, you will start to notice a reduction in tension-related pain and less stiffness throughout the day. You can take two minutes every hour to stretch and you will get a full amount of stretching in by the end of your workday.

Take a Walk

If you start to lose focus and feel fidgety, it is time to step away from work for a bit. You can do some exercises in the home during this time, but if the weather is nice and you are having some cabin fever, take a few minutes outdoors. Here you can take 15 or 20 minutes to walk. You can choose any pace. A slow walk will give you a few minutes to think and a faster pace if best if you have a little stress to burn. The important thing is that you are moving. Not only will your body feel more luxurious, but once you are done your focus will likely be restored too.

Jump

You do not need a rope, trampoline, or special shoes to get the benefits of jumping. Just put on a pair of tennis shoes and jump up and down in place. You will be amazed at how much this gets your heart pumping. For even more heart pumping, you can turn jumping into interval training. For example, jump up and down for 30 seconds, jog in place for 30 seconds, and then walk in place for 30 seconds. Then, just repeat this for about five minutes. You will get your heart rate up enough to make for a good cardiovascular workout.