At this point, during an international pandemic, most of us have had at least one experience working from home. While it may have been a welcome change of pace, in the beginning, working from home long term can have detrimental effects on our health. Here are the top 3 work-from-home errors you’re making that are hindering your fitness progress.

#1: You don’t follow a routine or schedule.

Planning ahead is one of, if not THE most important tool for staying on track to meet your goals. Outlining your day before it begins (including breaks, snacks, and exercise) can help you avoid bad habits that originate with poor planning. Failure to schedule meals and snack breaks can lead to overeating at mealtimes or under-eating throughout the day. If you don’t have your workout scheduled ahead of time, you’re more likely to delay it and make it less of a priority. Attempt to utilize a calendar with reminders, prepare meals and snacks beforehand, and have your workout gear ready to go. 

#2: You’re too sedentary. 

While it may not seem much worse than sitting at an office desk all day, working from home allows you to skip the walk into work from the parking lot, the extra steps to a co-worker’s office, and the stroll around the building before clocking out for the day. Those extra steps add up and decrease your sedentary time at your desk throughout the day. Try taking a lap around the house on the hour and being more attentive to your seated posture. Poor posture can damage natural body mechanics and increase muscle soreness. Sit up straight, roll your shoulders back and adjust your monitors to eye-level!

#3: You’re distracted. 

The comfort of an office building allows you to separate work and home life, and now you have both spaces combined, and you’re trying to balance them simultaneously. When you don’t intentionally designate time and space for each activity, it is easy to become overwhelmed and increase stress levels, negatively affecting your health. Prioritize accordingly and create attainable to-do lists to keep yourself on track. Design individual spaces for work and exercise that feel independent from your home activities so that you can commit fully to whatever task is at hand. 

We know it can be incredibly overwhelming to keep up with all the do’s and don’ts of the world, so here is your reminder to find what works for you. We’re all doing the best we can!