Advice for working from home

[Shondra]

What advice can you give someone who works from home and has to spend long hours sitting at the computer when it comes to weight loss and keeping fit?

 

[Keeliamira]

Drink a ton of water. Keep a water bottle with a straw in it handy. For some reason drinking through a straw generally results in drinking more water than without.
Take a 15 minute break every couple of hours and walk around your block oioir go up and down your stairs, etc. to get some activity in. Scheduling it will make it more likely to happen.
Don't eat at your desk and keep lots of healthy snacks in the fridge like baby carrots, other crunchy veggies, olives, etc.
I work from home and it really can be a waistline killer.

 

[Shondra]

Thanks for the advice. I think that taking little breaks will definitely help, plus I found this great article online about how you can do eye exercises to help keep the strain down. One of the techniques involves focusing on an object that is about twenty feet away from where you are sitting for about twenty seconds every twenty minutes that you work on your computer.

 

[marcy]

My husband has worked at home for about 5 years. He has an office downstairs and he uses that room for work only; at our old house he used a computer room upstairs right by the living room and he found he was too easily distracted. He also makes sure to eat lunch at our kitchen table rather than eating in his office. He gets up and at least walks around about once an hour and has a dart board set up downstairs that he'll go take a break to just get up and move around.

Over the years I have noticed he doesn't like staying at home on the weekends because he is home all the time and even though he is on conference calls he misses being able to see and talk to people.

He finds he can get a lot more work done since there are fewer distractions.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I have one of the Varidesk models (that lets you easily stand & sit throughout the day). It was necessary for my back, as sitting for long periods contributes to the painful flare-ups in my lumbar/sacral area. Here is the website for them: http://www.varidesk.com My employer actually bought mine for me, which was wonderful, but they are reasonably priced if you have to pay out of pocket for one.

Also, I keep my elliptical in my home office. If I'm on a conference call I'm only listening for awareness, I try to hop on the elliptical for a portion of the time. If I stay at my desk, I'm more likely to multi-task and not pay attention, whereas on the elliptical, I'm still focused on listening to the call. If you find yourself on a lot of calls, and have some where you're just listening, perhaps use that time to do some yoga or other physical activity near your phone so you can still hear but also keep the blood flowing. I do also get up and move around (go outside for a few mins here and there), have my desk positioned near a window so I can vary my vision focus throughout the day, etc.

People think WFH full time is some cake-walk; it's not. You just get to wear more comfy clothes.

 

[Landen]

There are plenty of physical exercises that you can do at home. You can just use google to find them. good luck! If you need some help, I can also write some useful exercises here too.

 

[ILikeShiny]

I work from home and am in the health/fitness field, so hopefully my tips can help! There have already already been several good suggestions given. I'll just give you my general list, even though some are repeats:

• Set a timer to go off once an hour (at the longest) to remind you to get up and move around at least 5 minutes; this helps keep your metabolism from slowing down. Use that time to walk around, do some gentle stretches, and refill your water bottle.
• Set a goal to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces per day (that's the RDA)
• Keep a small refrigerator in your office and fill it with healthy snacks/drinks
• Don't keep a candy bowl on your desk; stress easily depletes it - lol
• Instead of using a regular chair, try using a large yoga/physio ball to sit on. It will keep your core engaged the whole time and promotes better posture
• You can also try using a standing desk, or a treadmill desk

If you have tips on staying focused while working from home I'd love to hear them. That's where I struggle. I find myself bouncing from one thing to the next or wanting to zone out for a while.

 

[Landen]

You can do these simple but effective exercises

 

[TreeScientist]

My husband has worked at home for about 5 years. He has an office downstairs and he uses that room for work only; at our old house he used a computer room upstairs right by the living room and he found he was too easily distracted. He also makes sure to eat lunch at our kitchen table rather than eating in his office. He gets up and at least walks around about once an hour and has a dart board set up downstairs that he'll go take a break to just get up and move around.

Over the years I have noticed he doesn't like staying at home on the weekends because he is home all the time and even though he is on conference calls he misses being able to see and talk to people.

He finds he can get a lot more work done since there are fewer distractions.

I think the "have a separate room for work" advice is key. I worked from home exclusively for a short period a few years ago while finished my thesis, and I used one room in my then apartment as my home office. That room was for work and work only. I was only in that room when I was working, and I did not go into that room when I was not working (except to clean it, of course ).

When you work from home, the line between "work place" and "relax place" begin to blur, and I really think it's important to have distinct spaces for both. It helps you keep your sanity.

I agree about the fewer distractions though. I was definitely more productive when I didn't have co-workers constantly trying to talk to me. When I get distracted, it's hard for me to get back "in the zone."

One of my favorite comics on working from home:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/working_home

 

[EthanMitchel]

First of all, you should sleep more. Sometimes you think :" 2 more hours
nad time to bed". Then you think, maybe 2 more hours. Soo, sleep a lot!

 

[diamondringlover]

I work from home and I have a Apple watch it reminds me every hour to get up and move for 1 minute, I get up and walk in my office and I have 3 lb weights so I do various exercise with those as well...bonus my office is upstairs so I go up and down those stairs a bunch

 

[Bron357]

As others have said, get up every hour and stretch, walk about. The other important thing to do is to remember to look away from the computer screen, to a different focal length, a few times an hour.
Watch what you munch on and take a dedicated lunch break where you get up and move about.
Drink more water and less coffee or fizzy drinks.

 

[FL_runner]

I know this is an older thread, but more people are working from home than ever!

Good advice thus far- I would recommend setting a timer to remind you to get up, don't eat in front of the computer (take a dedicated lunch break and eat elsewhere), and drink lots of water.

A standing desk would be an excellent idea as well. I don't have one but I do put my computer on the kitchen counter periodically when I telework to force me to stand for a while!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i need one of these jobs

 

[Brigid]

I work from home due to Melbourne, Australia having so many lockdowns which I don’t disagree with especially as I work for NFP organisation for people with a disability (intellectual, physical & mental health) and I’m a HR Project Consultant, so their welfare is our main priority.
I use calendar reminders to take a break outside for lunch along with daily workout & walk sessions which keep me motivated.
The hardest part of working from home is navigating my two teenage children, my husband’s loud voice (he also works from home) & I’ve recently added a very needy rescue kitten to the household that demands my attention consistently! He has deleted work I’ve done & messaged colleague’s through MS Teams!
Other than these slight inconveniences I quite like working from home.

 

[seaurchin]

I suggest putting a whole system into place that supports your goals and make it part of your daily routine.

For ex, make cutting up a plate of fresh vegetables part of your nightly routine, so they're ready to be a large part of your lunch or for snacking. Add some that have strong flavor like radishes and green onions and if you want more flavor than that, use salt or a spice blend rather than a high fat dressing or dip. Have a nutritious, low cal lunch prepared ahead of time as well.

Check out what your calorie intake should be per day to support your weight goals, then count them to be sure you stay in that range.

And consider getting in some workout time in small chunks throughout the day. Exercise dice, yoga cards etc. keep it interesting. Roll the dice, do a yoga card or march in place while using hand weights for five minutes at the top of each hour.

Also, step on the scale regularly, whether daily or weekly, and chart your progress.

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

I use a Gubii. It's an elliptical machine that you can only use while sitting. I really like it a lot.

 

[Jason Creg]

Here are some practical tips for weight loss and staying fit while working from home and sitting for long hours:

Move Regularly: Take frequent breaks throughout the day to stand up, stretch, and move your body. Set reminders or use apps that notify you to take short active breaks every hour.
Incorporate Exercise: Schedule dedicated exercise sessions in your daily routine. Choose activities you enjoy, such as brisk walking, jogging, yoga, or home workouts. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
Desk Ergonomics: Optimize your workspace ergonomics to promote good posture and reduce strain. Use an adjustable chair, position your monitor at eye level, and maintain proper alignment of your spine, wrists, and arms.
Active Desk Setup: Consider using a standing desk or adjustable desk converter that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing. Standing burns more calories than sitting and helps improve circulation.