When you accept a home-based job position, you might envision days of work mixed with lots of movement and exercise. Imagine your surprise when the clock hits 5:00PM each day and you’ve barely moved! This is a common plague among home-based workers, and it’s something that can truly affect your health in the long term.

There are numerous recent studies proving how sitting is bad for our health, and when you work from home, you’re likely logging long hours on your computer. This isn’t really avoidable, but utilizing healthy tips and habits is a great way to ensure that you stay healthy when working from home.

When you’re making your 2015 resolutions, be sure to include these work at home exercises and tips to stay happy and healthy!

1) Stay active throughout the day: It doesn’t have to be anything excessive! Get up and walk around your house or neighborhood, stretch, lift light weights, or run in place for a few minutes. Do this approximately once per hour, and you’ll find that these little bursts are not only good for your body, but good for your mind.

2) Drink water: Working from home has its benefits here! Staying hydrated is key to health – you will avoid overeating and keep your energy high. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to drink water every hour.

3) Schedule your workouts: Whether you want to work out in the morning or the evening, working from home makes scheduling your workouts much easier. But you still have to do them! Schedule your workouts just as you would schedule a meeting or appointment. Write it down and stick to your plan.

4) Choose the right foods: If you’re used to having junk food around the house, do your best to stop buying it once you start working from home. If it’s in the house, it’s tough to avoid! At the very least, keep tempting foods out of view. Put healthy snacks such as fruit, trail mix, or protein bars out in a bowl, so you’re more likely to reach for them when you need a snack.

5) Take breaks: Mental health is just as important as physical health. It’s great to be productive, but not at the expense of your health. This will only lead you to feeling frazzled and burnt out – not a good combination. Take small breaks throughout the day to step away from the computer, get some fresh air, and relax your mind.
Incorporate these work at home exercises and tips into your daily schedule and start the new year out right.

Check out these other great articles about staying healthy as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)