Due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all of the employees are currently under a work from home setup. This may be an advantage or disadvantage for some, but what it all boils down to is that it introduces a new challenge for an employee in a variety of ways. Some people may find their home unsuitable for a work environment, resulting in poor work performance. Not only that, but it may contribute to the stress and job burnout that they might experience.
According to the previous article (which you may view here), incorporating exercise into your daily routine can have a significant impact on your mood and performance at work, as well as your overall health. Not because employees no longer go out anymore or exerting too much energy to move around and do their assigned tasks, do not mean that they should stop working out. Instead, this work from home arrangement we currently have should provide us with more reasons and motivation to exercise every day.
Even if this pandemic is physically, emotionally and mentally draining, there are still some exercise routines that busy employees can consider which are not too difficult and time consuming. Remember that sacrificing some of your time to workout is not a loss, but rather a step toward producing better actions and things. It is essential to prioritise and take care of your health and wellness first over anything else, especially during challenging times, in order to continue striving, making better decisions, and delivering excellent work performance.
Below are some easy exercises you can add to your routine while you are working from home.
1. Jumping Jacks — commonly known as jumping jacks but others also call it as “star jump”. This is a great cardiovascular exercise and can also help in improved body strength.
2. Lunges — this is good for promoting better balance and can strengthen your lower body part especially the legs.
3. Planks — this might also include side planks. It promotes strengthen core, abdominal and whole body muscles.
4. Squats — this helps in flexibility and strengthening the lower body part and core.
5. Push-ups — this might be a basic exercise for some, but it may be also hard for others. This can strengthen your muscles.
6. Sit-ups — promotes better balance and stability of the body. It also helps in improving posture that plays a big role in lessening risk to harm (see article related posture here).
7. Crunches — helps in building and strengthening muscles as this is one of the intense exercises. It is also ideal for strengthening to core.
Before doing the exercise above, do not forget to have a warmup and stretching first. Stretching is extremely important for us to make sure that the range of motions that our joints are capable of are preserved. It also ensures that our muscles are not weak and stiff, which can put us in dangerous situations if not addressed. Know more about stretching in our separate blog (click here).
If you do not want to do extreme exercise, you can also opt to do pilates and yoga. Pilates is a moderate exercise that seeks to strengthen muscles while also enhancing flexibility and postural alignment, whereas yoga is an exercise that consists of physical postures, mental focus, and deep breathing. Yoga provides physical benefits such as maintaining a balanced metabolism, counting calories, improving cardio-circulatory health, respiration and flexibility, increasing muscle tone and strength, and aiding in sleep problems. It also has great mental health benefits such as stress relief, helping you stay calm, and improving concentration. You can try watching some routines from YouTube or better if you can enroll to online classes meant for pilates or yoga. Reminder that do not forget to have your yoga mat!
Working out and investing in your health can be done in as little as 20 minutes. You can do this during your break or even before you begin your day’s work. If it is difficult for you to find a suitable time to exercise because not all of us work the same hours and days, remember to stretch and stand up for some time while at work. Housework can also be a good way to get your body moving and serve as a small substitute for exercise. Just remember to stay active in order to stay healthy.
