Valencia, Negros Oriental - Working at home is a trend nowadays due to lockdowns out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers also allow this work-at-home arrangement for health and safety purposes. However, one challenge of working at home is the inability to stay fit and stretch muscles while working. There is a great tendency to overwork and eat voraciously without noticing the negative effects due to a comfortable home-work setting.

Here are some tips to stay fit while working at home:

1. Eat healthy food and drinks

A healthy diet consists of the right amount of vegetables and fruits and only a little meat or poultry, one matchbox size. In terms of drinks, too much caffeine and soda are bad for the health and should be limited if not eliminated.  If addicted to it, find ways to have replacement juices or milk for a better healthy lifestyle.

2. Have regular breaks and do not overwork

Just like working in an office, breaks and enough rest are needed to stay fit. The tendency to overwork in a home office is high but overwork means lack of sleep and eating problems that can affect your health negatively.

3. Do mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of sensing your current experience without further interpretation. This can be done even when lying down or sitting at home. You can do this by thinking of the simple things that you do using your five senses and pushing away negative thoughts by breathing deeply and closing your eyes. A popular example of this kind of meditation is yoga known as a centuries-old mind-body practice.

4. Home exercise

There are many ways how to exercise at home like using exercise equipment for brisk walking or watching dance and exercise videos. It requires discipline though because it is tempting to not do it at all while at home. To avoid being lazy, it is best to set an exercise goal and schedule until achieved. Having a goal weight and figure may also help for motivation purposes.

5. Play sports activities with your family

Especially if there are children at home, playing sports is fun and exciting and can help you stay fit. Baseball and basketball are common sports for the family. Basketball can be done one on one with your kid, and this can help him to avoid stress and stay fit nowadays. This will also remove the tendency to always play games online and be addicted to them.

Remember, staying fit while working at home can give you a well-balanced life amid this COVID-19 pandemic. //ND II, Nina Estela Lindsay Romero