I work from home and barely move. What should I do?
Direct answerPeople who work from home tend to move much less because they've lost the commute, the walking around the office, and natural breaks, and they spend hours in the same chair with back-to-back meetings. The first step is to create a 'fake commute': a short walk before you start and another when you finish work.
How it shows up
At the end of the day, you realize you've barely left your chair, your body feels stiff, and your energy is low, even though you haven't exerted yourself.
Most likely root causes
- No more commuteGetting to and from work used to give you steps and natural light that are now gone.
- Back-to-back meetingsCalls one after another eliminate the breaks to get up.
- Everything within reachThe kitchen, bathroom, and desk just a few steps apart keep movement to a minimum.
- Blurry boundariesWithout a clear start and end time, work drags on and the time to move disappears.
Quick self-check
- Do you take few steps a day when working from home?
- Do your meetings run with no break between them?
- Do you go more than two hours without getting up?
- Does your workday have no clear end time?
If you answered yes to two or more, start with that cause.
First step today
Tomorrow, take a 10-minute walk before you open your computer, as if you were heading to work.
30-day plan
- Week 1: take your start-of-day and end-of-day walks, and get up between meetings.
- Weeks 2 and 3: take audio-only calls while walking and shorten meetings to create five-minute breaks.
- Week 4: set a finish time and add 20 to 30 minutes of exercise on at least three days.
When to seek professional help
See a doctor or physical therapist if you develop persistent pain in your back, neck, or wrists, or swollen, sore legs from sitting.
Frequently asked questions
- Will a standing desk fix it?
- Switching between sitting and standing helps, but standing still for hours is tiring too. What matters is changing position and moving.
- How long can I go without getting up?
- A good practical rule is to get up every 30 to 60 minutes, even for just a minute or two.