But, my biggest problem (and I think other telecommuters would agree) is the discipline to STOP working. I often find myself tap-tap-tapping away at my keyboard late into the night. Or, I'll look at the clock and discover I've been sitting for hours at a time, with no break to even get a glass of water (which is why I can also sit for hours without a bathroom break!). OR, I find myself responding to an email at 4:30 a.m. my time, which could have totally waited, but I find myself held responsible to a response.
None of this is healthy for body or mind. My saving grace is that I do make time for exercise; a run right away in the morning, and then a "lunch break" with my personal trainer.
If you're struggling with finding time for fitness, Fitness Expert Grace DeSimone and host of Life's Too Short, Melanie Cole, MS, have some great tips.
1) Get yourself on a schedule like you're going to work. There's no reason you should still be in your PJs and have unbrushed teeth at 3:00 p.m. Even if you just change from your sleep attire into similar comfy clothes, it gives you a sense of purpose.
2) Estimate how long your commute would be if you had to go into the office, and dedicate those minutes to exercise. When I used to work in an office in Santa Monica, my round-trip commute was usually just under three hours. If yours is similar, you might not work out for that whole time, but you can still practice healthy behaviors for a portion.
3) Pepper in small activity breaks, even if it's just a few minutes on the treadmill or a quick walk around the block. Those small increments really add up.
4) Similar to that, make sure you're getting up every 45-60 minutes to stretch and shake out the tension your body accumulates from sitting. Remember, sitting is the new smoking.
5) Consider the help of wearable technology, which can increase your awareness of how much you move (or don't) and also provide motivation. Many smartphones will actually track your steps, or you can at least download an app that will.
6) Improve your posture! This is a hard one for me, especially when I have a sleepy kitten in my lap, but Grace has great guidelines: elbows should be at 40 degrees when you’re typing, and your screen should be at eye level. You can Google "ergonomic desk set-up" for ideas. Some folks may think sitting on a fitness ball is a great answer for rectifying posture, but Grace warns that doing so may exacerbate an issue you may not even be aware you have.
7) Encourage colleagues on conference calls to take stretch and activity breaks as well. Grace calls this "creating a culture for body care."
Some of these tips are certainly relevant if you work in an office environment, too. I encourage you to take a listen for all the details.
Click here to listen to or download the episode.
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