Working from home has its upsides, but it’s not all conference calls in pajamas.
Without the daily physical and social activity found in the workplace, it’s easy for the body and mind to become inactive, even unhealthy.
But staying on the move at home is easier than you might think. With tips and resources from health-minded Bruins, you can start a new favorite habit today.
“The most important thing is that you create a schedule: Use a timer. Use an alarm, so that you don’t find yourself sitting on the couch working for hours,” says Elisa Terry ’94, associate director of fitness and wellness at UCLA Recreation.
The next step is to choose your activities. “Work for 25 minutes, and then move for 5 minutes,” Terry recommends. “Then you just rinse and repeat. The movement can be anything, from taking a little walk to doing little exercises to washing your hands.”
Terry also recommends scheduling a strenuous workout at least three times a week. Break a sweat by doing exercises in repetitions of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50. For example, 10 mountain climbers, 10 squats and 10 jumping jacks. Then, do 20 of each, and so on.
One final tip: Mix in mindfulness meditation. It’s transformational on its own and a great way to cool down after exercise.
Forget the Workout, Here’s the Work-In
The Bruin Health Improvement Program shares three exercises that you can try in your living room.
“Inside” Tips for Staying Fit
- The Bruin Health Improvement Program’s Instagram offers a variety of workout videos that you can do at home.
- Part of UCLA Recreation’s FitWell Program, UCLA MoveMail emails videos that will get you moving. Click here to subscribe.
- The UCLA Mindful app offers guided meditations, led by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center’s Diana Winston.
- The Hammer Museum at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Meditation sessions are held every Thursday from 12:30 to 1 p.m. via Zoom.