There are times where I feel like since I work from home, I’m chained to my laptop for the entirety of my 8 hour day. Then I remember how much I used to move around when I worked in an office and it reminds me to take a break. Even now, I have a note on my wall that tells me to move at least once an hour.
Sitting for too long makes my back hurt even though I do martial arts for an hour or longer in the evenings. So I figured out how to add meaningful workouts throughout my day. It’s helped my back stop hurting, it helps me focus better, and it helps me get clarity whenever I’m stuck on something.
Keep in mind that I am absolutely not a medical professional, personal trainer, or anybody that can tell you what’s best for your body. This is just something I’ve found that works for me and I hope it’ll help you find what works for you.
Here’s what I try to do every day, including weekends!
The routine
I take at least a 5 minute break every hour and use that to cycle through a variety of things. On one day, the routine might look like:
- Jump rope
- 10 pound dumbell rows
- Burpies
- 20 pound skull-crushers
- Shadow box
- 10 pound dumbell overhead press
- Jump rope
- Stretch
All of these things last the whole 5 minute break, especially the things that don’t use weights. I alternate between weighted exercises and cardio because it helps me prep for martial arts in the evening. I also alternate between muscle groups every day and some days I might just stretch every hour. It depends on how my body feels and what I need to focus on.
I have routines that focus on legs, back, chest, agility, coordination, balance, endurance, flexibility, and sparring. If there’s something you really want to work on, you can do some variety of this routine.
Customize it
The main thing is that you make sure you move. Maybe you like dancing, rock climbing, or you’re training for a marathon. There are a ton of things you can do in 5 minutes at home, regardless of the size of your space. This is a good way to get creative and even get others in your family involved.
It surprised me how big of a difference this little amount of time made in my day over time. A big thing is how it reminds me to break up my day and set some boundaries with my time. I’ve struggled with keeping a healthy balance of meetings, focus work time, pop-up requests, and taking time for myself.
Doing this keeps me aware of how the day is going and where I need to re-focus attention.
I do some form of this routine every day, even when I’m not at work. The only other thing I’ll add is to remember to drink water throughout the day!