4 Ways to Stay Physically Active While Working Remotely

The biggest pain point of my job? The aches and pains that come from low physical activity. Pun intended.

I’m one of those lucky people who can say I love what I do. It’s quite a dream scenario: There’s no office; zero time spent commuting; I can work from anywhere in the world. I work with amazing people. The day-to-day challenges I face play to my strengths while steadily pushing me out of my comfort zone so I can learn and improve a little more every day.

I can easily get lost in a project I’m excited about and forget I’m even working—except when my neck and shoulders remind me I’ve been at the screen for too long.

To fix this, I’ve been looking for ways to increase my physical activity throughout the workday.

These are my favorites. It’s not a long list, so I hope you’ll help me add to it in the comments below!

Catching Up While Cleaning Up

At Yodo1, we have a habit of recording every meeting. One of the benefits this allows is the ability to catch up on meetings asynchronously.

So if I miss a meeting, or I’m sent a call recording with a request for feedback (like an interview deconstruction), my favorite approach is putting on my headphones and moving away from the computer while listening. For me, doing chores around the house is a win-win because I won’t have to worry about them later, I’m not far from my workspace, and I’m getting some light physical activity away from the screen.

Pros: Win-win of getting housework done while catching up or staying in the loop on meetings. You can also save time by increasing the playback speed to 1.2 or 1.5x.

Cons: As long as meetings are recorded and shared properly, I can’t think of any.

Conclusion: Dedicated exercise time isn’t the only way to stay active. There’s always a way to keep yourself moving, and sticking to your work doesn’t have to mean standing still.

Being more active doesn’t need to take time—it might even help you save time.

Audiobooks At The Gym

We have an internal group called “Leaders are Readers” and the title perfectly reflects what I believe: to lead in anything, you have to read.

But I’m a terribly slow reader and a chronic multitasker with a poor attention span.

After trying different ways to get myself reading more, I’ve had the most success doubling-down at the gym: while my body is focused on working out, my mind engages with an audiobook.

Pros: Feeding two birds with one scone (credit to Luke Priddy for this lively twist on a dated expression)

Cons: Every time I hear something interesting I have to stop my exercise to make a note.

Conclusion: What works well for one person might not for the next. Experiment until you find the setting most suited to you.

Walking Meetings

Kudos to Arosha Brouwer from Quan Wellbeing for first introducing me to this concept, and to Petra Velzeboer for re-inspiring me to have them in her book, Begin With You. So far, I’ve found walking meetings ideal for:

• One-on-one conversations with my team members that focus on checking in with each other.
• Conversations to brainstorm ideas or find solutions to problems we’re facing. Being away from the computer and in a fresh environment is perfect match for fresh thinking.

Pros: Very conducive to organic conversation, human connection, and creative thinking.

Cons: Not conducive to note-taking (but recordings and meeting transcripts help) and not great for screen sharing (Loom is though!)

Conclusion: Pick the right types of meetings and get your walking shoes on!

Standable Desk + Whiteboard (Sheets)

Standing desks are nothing new but there are plenty of reasons people (read: I) don’t use them. From being expensive and travel unfriendly to not fitting in your home office or simply making your feet tired, the standing desk is often better in concept than reality.

Because I’m an avid traveler with minimalist tendencies, I refrained from buying a standing desk setup. Then I realized two years had passed and, for the majority of my work hours, I was sitting in the same place, at the same desk. So I bought this beautiful set of bamboo boards that can be assembled to transform your regular desk into a standing desk.

This has been great for my back, but not enough for my neck—because I’m constantly looking straight ahead. Enter whiteboard sheets. I put these up around my desk to encourage a more “360” environment and break the “deadlock with screen” syndrome.

Pros: Your body will thank you forever.

Cons: Costs money, and you’ll need to force yourself to stand when you’d rather sit.

My trick for this is getting the standing desk setup ready to go in the evening, so I automatically start working at it in the morning. (At a certain point in the afternoon, I switch to sitting.)

Conclusion: “Those who sat for more than eight hours a day with?no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to that posed by obesity and smoking,” according to MayoClinic. Invest in standing!

How do you stay active while working remotely?