Working From Home Fitness: Stay Active at Home

Working from home was meant to free up time. No commute, no packed tube, more time for the gym. Instead, for a lot of parents, the laptop opens at 8:45 after the school run, you are still in the same chair at 3pm, and the only walk you took was to the fridge. Some days you barely leave the house. If that sounds familiar, this guide to working from home fitness will help you put back the movement your old commute used to give you, and use the flexibility of home working to your advantage.

The hidden cost of working from home

When you commuted, you probably walked to the station, climbed stairs, walked between meetings and went out for lunch. None of that happens at the kitchen table. You can go from bed to desk to sofa in about 20 steps.

The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, strengthening activities on at least 2 days, and reducing time spent sitting. The NHS page on why sitting too much is bad for us suggests setting a reminder to get up about every 30 minutes. At home, nobody else will remind you, so you need a system.

Working from home fitness: build a “fake commute”

This is the single best habit I give home-working parents. Book a walk at the start and end of your working day, just like a commute.

• Morning: after the school or nursery drop-off, do not go straight home. Walk a 15 to 20-minute loop first. Around Archway, a lap through Whittington Park or up towards Highgate works well.
• Evening: when you close the laptop, go out for 10 to 15 minutes before starting tea. It helps your brain switch off from work.

Two short walks a day, five days a week, can add up to well over 150 minutes. If you walk briskly (the NHS describes it as being able to talk but not sing), that counts as moderate activity. For more on targets, see my guide on how many steps a day you really need.

Use the flexibility you actually have

Home working has one big advantage over the office: you control your breaks. Use it.

1. Put a workout in your work calendar. A 30-minute block at lunchtime, marked busy. If you can, block it on the same 2 or 3 days each week.
2. Train before the school pick-up. 2:30 to 3pm is a dead zone for many people’s focus. A 20-minute session then leaves you fresher for the last hour of work.
3. Keep kit where you can see it. A pair of resistance bands or a kettlebell by your desk makes it far more likely you will use it. Try my resistance band workout at home.
4. Take calls standing or walking. Audio-only calls are perfect for a walk round the block with headphones.
5. Use the stairs at home. Put the printer, water bottle or charger upstairs. Annoying, but it works.

A 15-minute lunchtime routine for your living room

No changing needed if you keep it moderate. Do each exercise for 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest, and go round 3 times.

• Squats (easier: to a chair; harder: hold a full backpack)
• Incline push-ups on the kitchen worktop (harder: on the floor)
• Reverse lunges (easier: hold a chair; harder: slow 3-second lowering)
• Band or towel rows: loop a band round a sturdy table leg and pull towards you (easier: lighter band)
• Plank (easier: on knees; harder: lift one foot at a time)

If you have back, neck or joint pain, please check with your GP or a physio before starting a new routine.

Watch the kitchen

When the fridge is 5 metres away, grazing creeps in. Set yourself proper meal times, make lunch before you start work, and keep the snack cupboard for the kids’ snacks only. A glass of water when you get up from your desk is a better habit than a biscuit. I am not giving you a diet here, just pointing out that home working changes your eating as well as your moving.

Where a small-group bootcamp fits

The other thing many home workers miss is people. Some weeks you might only speak to adults on video calls. A class gets you out of the house, moving and chatting to other parents. SYP Bootcamp classes are 45 minutes, with a maximum of 10 people, indoors in a church hall in Archway, N19, and they cost £15 each. Because they are short, they fit easily around a flexible working day. See this week’s class times on the booking page.

FAQs

How do I stay active when working from home?

Replace your old commute with a short walk at the start and end of the day, get up about every 30 minutes as the NHS suggests, and book 2 or 3 short workouts into your work calendar each week.

What is the best time to work out when working from home?

Whichever time you will actually protect. For many parents it is straight after drop-off, at lunchtime or in the mid-afternoon slump before pick-up.

Do I need equipment for home workouts?

No. Bodyweight exercises are plenty to start with. A couple of resistance bands are a cheap, quiet upgrade when you want more challenge.

Book your first class

Get yourself out of the house and into a room full of other parents for 45 minutes. Choose a time and tap “Book my £15 class” on the SYP Bootcamp booking page, or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you would rather have a structured plan you can follow from home with a coach checking in, see how SYP Fitness online coaching works.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.