Re-addressing balance in lockdown
Sophie shares how she is plans to get back to active.
Date: 11 November 2020 Author: Energise Me
Working from home, sometimes you find yourself sitting still for hours. So we thought we’d share how the Energise Me team build activity into their day whilst working from home.
During the first lockdown, it was easy to get out of the house and play football in the park after school with my daughter or go for long walks at the weekend. This time around I think I might need to invest in a good pair of wellies!
I’m not very good at remembering to get up and move around when I’m focussed, but my manager always reminds me! I often do stretches whilst my coffee is brewing – it’s the small things that add up throughout the day.
I’ve also recently given Our Parks Couch To Bhangra a try. They are only 10 minutes, so super easy to fit into even a busy day. They really get my heart rate up, and even though I am VERY bad, I can close the curtains and not worry about looking silly.
I try to do an Instagram workout during my lunch break most days. They aren’t always that long. Anything from 20 minutes to the full hour. I find that by lunchtime I already feel quite tired and my motivation drops. After doing a workout I feel re-energised and refreshed. It’s almost like starting my day again, especially as I pop in the shower before coming back to my desk.
I also try to get out for a walk after work at the common up the road. I am used to walking to the train station to travel to work so having a walk in the evening helps bring my day to a close. It’s time for me to get all my last bits of work thoughts out and properly switch off. That way when I come back to my flat it’s no longer my home office it’s just my home.
With football and team sports temporarily banned, there’s a huge gap for me. I’m not the type of person who wants to put on some trainers and run for miles, and so I’ve needed to find some kind of physical activity that was fun for me, and more importantly, that is allowed with the current restrictions.
Fortunately, I work with Kelly! During our team meetings, Kelly’s got us all doing short little 5 minute bursts, both as a break during the team meeting and also to get us refreshed and energised. These bursts weren’t strenuous exercise, and they played on our worryingly high levels of competitiveness that the team has!
The bursts help us become more energised and refreshed. They also give us time to fully form our thoughts, opinions and idea. This means when we come back together our discussions are more valuable. I think having these short physical activity breaks makes our meetings much more productive.
After finishing the couch to 5k, I’ve committed to a lunchtime walk or run (i.e. when it is still light) to break up my day at the desk. Also, I love tea and coffee, so I am doing press-ups using the counter and squats while the kettle is boiling.
We want to know how you keep moving whilst working from home. Tag us in your pictures on social media, Twitter – @EnergiseMe_ Instagram: EnergiseMe_ Facebook: EnergiseMe1
Helping us tackle inactivity to boost health and happiness
