Staying Fit While Working From Home

     Despite what many may think, working from home takes a lot of time and a lot of work. Im sure you have heard someone say, They dont really have a job, they just work from home. That statement could not be farther from the truth! Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first ones to drop is fitness.

When you have a never ending to do list, a house that never seems to get clean and family and or friends who demand attention, its understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it should not.

Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better two things that are especially beneficial to busy at home workers and business owners. Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. If that still does not convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer. What more could you ask for?

It all sounds great, right? But you still dont think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape. Dont worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in. Below are some tips to help you get started.

Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it is so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid his think of yourself as having a traditional office job. In most office jobs when you go home for the night you leave work behind and concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you.

During working hours, take several 5 to 10 minute breaks and run up and down the stairs or even just walk. This will also help rejuvenate your mind.

Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work.

Its not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You will get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read above if you just said you have no after work time).

If you dont want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner and you dont have to compromise calories as you would if you instead opted for take out.

One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you dont have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you dont have any face to face meetings scheduled, then you dont have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.

If you have not already done so, invest in a good hands free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, tricep dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.

Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Dont forget to keep water on hand and sip some all throughout your day.

Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, its also beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help build your core strength (your trunk area).

Dont forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.

As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And if you have kids, by exercising you also set a great example. So, to help you, your business, and your family its time to stop making excuses and just start moving!

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