The Covid-19 pandemic has forced millions of us to work from home. Whilst many of us are concerned about delivering and maximising work output from home, are we also assessing how this is affecting our mental and physical wellbeing?
According to the Institute for employment studies survey on the working class: Since lockdowns have been reinforced diet and exercise are on the wane with one fifth (20 per cent) of respondents admitting to an increase in alcohol consumption, while a third (33 per cent) are eating a less healthy diet, and over half (60 per cent) acknowledging that they are exercising less.
Poor sleep and increased risk of exhaustion are also cause for concern. The majority of respondents reported a loss of sleep due to worry (64 percent); and corresponding increased symptoms of fatigue (60 percent), possibly as a consequence of nearly half (48 percent) reporting working patterns that include long and irregular hours.
The mental health of survey respondents depicts a workforce with a lot on its mind. Half of all respondents (50 percent) reported not being happy with their current work-life balance; a third (33 percent) frequently feel isolated, over a fifth (21 percent) are worried about job security, while just under half (41 percent) harbour health concerns for family members.
Fulufhelo Siphuma a wellness specialist and fitness fanatic says you can change a few things to make your life healthier during this time.
Some of the steps that Siphuma advises to ensure that you are getting your work out in include:
- To move more when working from home, swap the commuting time for an hours’ exercise every day
- Block your time in your calendar as you would every other task.
- Set daily fitness goals like that opportunity to get your 10,000 steps a day in and get them done in the morning before any distractions
Another trick Siphuma suggest is, in between the chores, life admin, working late, busy with homeschooling, you squeeze in an exercise because you are much better off getting a quick workout in than forgoing it completely.
She says not having access to weights, doesn’t mean you can’t get in an effective training session. Here are reps you can do to help you stay active.
Getting home gym equipment that targets several body areas at once is also a great way to maximize your workout time. Rowing machines are awesome as they train your legs, back and arms all at once. SpikesandHeels lists some budget-friendly options all under $500 so you can row your way to your body goals!
If you’re short on time, this workout is intense enough to be a stand-alone training session.
- Do 10 repeats of each exercise as a circuit, descending by two reps until you reach ten.
- If you’re more advanced, rest after each round. Absolutely no reason not to be done and dusted before your next zoom meeting.
-Squats Jump
-Lunge to high knee
-Push up
-Pullup (you sub in a suspension trainer row or inverted rows, where you lay under a heavy dining room table, grab the edge with both hands, extend your feet, and row.)
-V-Up, If you are advanced, you can always add more sets or reps, reduce rest between sets, slow down your reps.
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Source – IOL
