When people are working from home, they tend to be less active. Sitting all day with little to no movement can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which can increase your risk of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. This article will show you how to stay fit while working from home.
Squats
Squats strengthen the muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons of your lower body, helping reduce the risk of injury and improve your posture, mobility, and balance. They're also a great way to burn unwanted calories. Here’s how to do squats properly:
- Stand straight with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart.
- Inhale and then slowly lower your body until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds.
- Exhale and slowly bring your body back to the standing position.
- Aim to do three sets of 20–30 repetitions.
Push-ups
Push-ups are high-intensity strength exercises that help develop upper body strength, improve core stability, protect your cardiovascular system, boost metabolism, and support bone health. Here are the steps to doing push-ups:
- Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Your back should be straight and your feet must be hip-width apart.
- Slowly bend your elbows to bring your body toward the ground.
- Push away from the ground to return to your starting position.
Try to go for two sets of push-ups three times a week. Men should do 10 to 15 push-ups per set, while women should do 4 to 8 reps per set. Once you’re comfortable performing basic push-ups, you can take it to the next level by mixing it up with these variations.
Tricep dips
Tricep dips, also called bench dips, are bodyweight exercises aimed at strengthening your triceps and getting rid of flabby arm fat. This exercise also helps build chest and shoulder muscles. Follow these steps to perform tricep dips:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your hands on the seat beside your hips, and your fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your feet forward until your hips are hanging in front of the chair.
- Bend your elbows to lower your body until your arms form a 90-degree angle.
- Hold the position for a few seconds, then push your body back up to the starting position.
You can start with two sets of 5–10 reps. The number of sets and repetitions that will be added over time will depend on how well you maintain good posture and technique while doing this exercise.
Burpees
Despite its funny name, the burpee is a challenging exercise that targets different muscle groups in your body, including the shoulders, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. It helps improve cardiovascular health, burn fats and calories, stabilize your core, and improve balance, posture, and mobility.
Here’s how to do a burpee:
- Stand with your feet together and arms at your side.
- Drop into a squatting position with your hands on the ground slightly in front of your feet.
- Kick your feet back to go to a push-up position.
- Do one push-up.
- Kick your feet back up behind your hands.
- Jump as high as you can, keeping your legs straight as possible.
- Land back in the standing position and repeat.
Making these exercises part of your daily routine is an excellent way to stay active at home. Call us today to find more ways to improve your remote work setup.