When people work from home, their daily physical activity often decreases. Unlike commuting to work and walking around the office, home-based work tends to involve a lot of sitting, which can negatively impact your physical health. To help you stay fit and active, here are some easy exercises you can do from the comfort of your home.
Squats
Squats are fantastic for strengthening the muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons in your lower body. They also enhance your posture, mobility, and balance while burning calories. Here's how to properly do squats:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly lower your body as if you're going to sit in a chair, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
- Hold this position for a few seconds with your thighs nearly parallel to the floor.
- Push back up to the starting position.
- Try to do three sets of 20–30 repetitions.
Push-ups
Push-ups are great for building upper body strength, improving core stability, supporting cardiovascular health, boosting metabolism, and enhancing bone health. Follow these steps to perform push-ups correctly:
- Get into a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Try to do two sets of push-ups, three times a week. Beginners can start with modified push-ups done on their knees.
Tricep dips
Tricep dips, also known as bench dips, are a fantastic bodyweight exercise for strengthening and toning your triceps, which are the muscles at the back of your upper arms. They also engage your chest and shoulders, helping to build overall upper body definition.
When doing tricep dips, remember to use a sturdy chair and follow these steps:
- Sit on the edge of the chair with your hands placed next to your hips, fingers pointing forward.
- Stretch out your legs in front of you, keeping your core engaged for stability.
- Bend your elbows, lowering your body downward until your upper arms reach a 90-degree angle with your forearms.
- Engage your triceps to press yourself back up to the starting position, maintaining a straight back and engaged core throughout the movement.
- Try to do two sets of 5–10 repetitions. As you gain strength, you can progressively increase the number of sets and repetitions.
Burpees
Burpees are challenging but effective, targeting multiple muscle groups, including the shoulders, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. They improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, stabilize the core, and enhance balance, posture, and mobility.
Here's how to do a burpee:
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Squat down and place your hands on the ground slightly in front of your feet.
- Quickly push your feet back behind you, transitioning into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- If you're comfortable, do a push-up by bending your elbows and lowering your chest toward the ground.
- Jump your feet back up to meet your hands, returning to the squat position.
- Jump as high as you can with your arms reaching overhead, keeping your legs straight.
- Go back to standing position and repeat.
Performing these exercises as part of your daily routine will help you stay active and healthy while working from home. Reach out to us today to learn how we can improve your remote work setup.