Have you gained weight while working from home? You’re not alone.
One of the biggest reasons people point the finger at working from home for their weight gain is that they are no longer getting in everyday exercise in getting to work, moving around during work, and coming home from work. No matter if you’re trying to get to a meeting across the building or trying to catch the last express train out of the city, it’s harder to not move when you’re out and about.
However, working from home may contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight in other ways. For example, holding flexible work hours that include getting in some hours later at night may impact your sleep habits—especially if your schedule isn’t regular. Working on your bed can also have that effect.
There can also be more blurring between work and personal life. This can leave you potentially stressed and burned out if you aren’t also taking steps to practice self-care. And we know stress, boredom, and other strong emotions can sometimes lead to emotional eating—something that can be easier to do at home, in private.
Ways Working From Home Can Support Weight Loss
The secret—whether you are working from an office or your home—is not to fall into a sedentary lifestyle and not snack on unhealthy foods all day. Of course, that’s easier said than done. It’s also the key to a healthy lifestyle. Keep reading for some tips on making the most of working from home.
No commute, no problem
One of the peak work-from-home (WFH) perks is not needing to drive or take public transportation No commute time means fitting in some gym time may be easier than ever—whether it’s before work, during lunch, or after you close your laptop at the end of the day. You can use that newfound time to head to the gym, get in a home workout, or even go for a walk to get those steps in.
Become your own office snack manager
Congratulations on your new promotion to office snack manager! No longer restricted to whatever’s in a vending machine or the office kitchen. Now it’s your turn to select the foods in your “office snack corner,” so it’s in your power to substitute the potato chips you may have grabbed at the office with something healthier.
Come lunchtime, consider prepping some simple meals in advance so you can grab and go from your fridge and aren’t tempted to get something unhealthy delivered to your house. Salads are a great, quick, and no-cook option for a healthy lunch—especially if you’re squeezed for time in back-to-back meetings.
Routines are still your friend
Remember earlier when we mentioned blurring work/life boundaries at home can potentially lead to stress? Setting and keeping as much of a routine as possible is one way to counter this. Whereas a commute does the work for us of determining a routine, when working from home this is something that is now up to you. It may be harder to motivate yourself, so you may need to be more intentional with your planning.
From home office to home gym
Have you ever had to do a group fitness activity at work as part of a workplace wellness initiative? Doing jumping jacks in front of all your coworkers can be downright embarrassing. Working from home, you don’t have this problem. It’s suddenly much easier (with more privacy) to keep a yoga mat and light equipment like small dumbbells or resistance bands close by to your desk to get in some quick movement in between meetings.
You don’t need a full-on home gym to get a day’s worth of movement in. You can try using a standing desk and/or under-desk walking pad to get your steps in while answering emails. Set a timer to get up and stretch every hour or so to make sure you aren’t couchbound. Need a break from a task? Do some calorie-burning cleaning and tidying to get you moving (and still feeling productive). Last but not least, consider the 30-second dance break to celebrate completing a difficult task. Best part? You get to pick the soundtrack.
How much you’re able to take advantage of the flexibility of working from home depends on your specific job requirements, caretaking responsibilities, and home office set-up. It’s important to reflect on your lifestyle and schedule and see where healthy activities can slot more easily into your day. But working from home doesn’t need to spell the end of your weight loss journey—it can actually open up new doors on your way toward success.
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