Working from home? 5 simple exercises to keep lethargy from setting in

With the many unprecedented changes that came with the pandemic, remote work seems like it is here to stay.

It has become a standard component of people’s work week, not allowing for enough activity in one’s day.

Without the normal lunch breaks where workers would leave their workstations to go outside, working from home means sitting throughout the day.

Sitting for prolonged periods has been linked to several health concerns such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, blood pressure raised blood sugar, and obesity.

The National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reported that physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for the death rate, about six percent globally.

This follows high blood pressure (13%), tobacco use (9%), and high blood glucose (6%). Overweight and obesity are responsible for about 5% of global deaths, according to the NCBI.

To offset the damage caused by physical inactivity, here’s what you can do during a fifteen-minute break, hour lunch, or in between those Zoom meetings:

Stand Up

Stand for at least 30 to 40 minutes per day. A standing desk can help you exercise during your daily remote workday.

Half-Kneel Stretch

This will require you to get up from your chair. You’ll start in a half-kneel position with one leg backward and the other forward bent into a kneel position. Shift your body weight forward over with one leg in a half-kneel position and hold it for about five seconds.

Yoga Poses

There are a few yoga poses that can help undo the damage caused by sitting all day. Consider the downward dog and the rag-doll stretch for two of the best yoga poses to help your body.

Spinal Twist

Sit with your feet on the ground at hip-width apart. Lift through your spine and turn your body in one direction, using your armrests on the chair to help hold yourself in this position for five seconds. Turn and repeat the process for the other side and hold for five seconds.

Toe Touches

Get out of your office chair, stand up straight and take your hands and reach for your toes. Do this process every day for at least ten seconds to start stretching your spine and muscles to give your body a break from sitting all day.