I have worked from home full-time since lockdown in March 2020, and never returned to the office. Thanks to COVID, I went from being employed to self-employed, but that’s a story for another day. However, I wouldn’t change it one bit. While it’s great being able to fit work in and around my two boys, it also means that I am not as active as I was before. Four years on and both my husband and I (who also works from home) are feeling the effects. Unsurprisingly, we’ve both put on weight, partly due to being sedentary but also from comfort eating. Both of us have been feeling the effects recently which has prompted us to take steps to create a healthier lifestyle.

Getting active

First and foremost, with both of us working on our computers for most of the day, we need to move more. I’ve found one of the downsides to working from home is that I never take a proper lunch break. So, although I’ve never been a runner, I am going to attempt Couch25k. With the weather hopefully improving I want to try and run 2-3 times a week during my lunch break. Obviously, I will need to be kitted out properly with suitable footwear. I’ve been looking at womens running trainers as I want something that is lightweight and comfortable. I really like the look of the Supernova Rise as it gives good support and is suitable for a novice runner like me.

As well as trainers I will also need some running gear, preferably something that is breathable to keep me cool whilst on the go. I would probably opt for Womens tracksuits, leggings or joggers as I don’t really get on with shorts.

We also have a rowing machine at home that I plan to use once or twice a week.

Eat healthier

Our diet is usually quite varied, as we use a weekly recipe box plan to choose our dinners but we are more conscious of the dishes we choose and look for meals that are around 500 calories. We have also been prone to snacking on crisps, chocolate, and cake during the day and having dessert after dinner most evenings. We’ve cut this out for around two weeks so far, and I can already feel a difference.

We are also making healthier choices for lunch by opting to have salads, omelettes and fish with vegetables.

Hydrate

Drinking water is beneficial for your overall health and you are supposed to drink around 2 litres a day to stay hydrated, I’ve also read that it can help increase your metabolism and help with weight loss. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t drinking anywhere near this much before but we bought ourselves 1-litre water bottles from Amazon which we have beside us while we’re working. I make sure I refill once a day and that it’s all been drunk before the end of the day. Again, we’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now and I already feel so much better for it, even if I am going to the toilet a lot more – it can only be a good thing!

So, these are the baby steps we are taking to be healthier. By making these changes gradually I hoping it will just easily become a part of our routine which will make it that much easier to stick to. What do you think?

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