Working at home can mess up your usual daily movement and activity. Here’s tips to counterbalance the damage your body suffers from sitting all day.

The monumental shift to working at home has upended the way we think, produce and feel.  Working at home usually means going down the rabbit hole of projects and not really moving, much less standing for long periods of time. Such inactivity is tough on the thought process and the body.  Here are 4 ways to counteract sitting all day.

Modern life asks us to spend much of our daily routing sitting down, but quarantine life takes this to a new extreme since there’s no commute or even the need to walk to your car every day. Excessive sitting is a serious issue, leading to back problems, cardiovascular conditions and an increased risk of developing chronic pain and depression.

Remind yourself to get up once every hour

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We’re used to working for long periods of time, taking mental breaks but not physical ones. Once every hour (set a reminder if it helps), go for a short walk, have a glass of water or stretch on your feet. This will provide immediate release of tension and will help you feel more productive, especially if you’re having a hard time finding motivation and drive to complete your work.

Work on your breathing

Breathing patterns are very important for your posture, with long hours spent on a chair encouraging poor breathing. This results in tension, tight muscles, lethargy and more. Try breathing in from your belly and diaphragm. In order to get this habit down, lay down on your back with your knees bent and place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe in and out, feeling the flow of air on each hand.

Lunge and rotate

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Deep lunges and rotations target most body parts affected by long hours spent sitting down. These exercises are simple and provide plenty of relief and toning for a lot of muscles. Lunges relax your hip flexors, stretch your spine and extend your core. Adding in rotations ensures that both sides of your body are getting equal attention.

Use house items to stretch

Take advantage of your door frames, couches, chairs and desks, utilizing them for releasing tension in your body. Here’s a list of exercises you can complete without having to leave your office.