Staying Healthy When You Work On a Computer

You came to this blog for internet marketing tips and strategies… but it’s time for something different. Here is a little reminder that our lifestyle, when working in this industry, makes it difficult to stay fit and healthy.

In fact, one of the greatest benefits of working in internet marketing is that most of us can even work from home, in our pajamas, and… that’s also one of the worst catches.

Our bodies are not designed to sit for hours at a time, and what are the chances that you go sit on a couch and watch TV when you’re done working?

Now if you are taking good care of yourself and don’t have any health problems associated with the sedimentary lifestyle that is our profession… good for you! Please do share your secrets.

For the rest of us, here are some tips that can help you balance the job you love without sacrificing the body you should be loving too.

Improve Your Morning Routine

When you wake up in the morning, don’t just plop down in front of the computer with a cup of coffee and start your workday. If those projects can’t wait an hour for you to eat a nutritious breakfast and stretch or do some exercise that will get your metabolism pumping… then you need to just set your alarm clock and wake up an hour earlier.

Make the time to improve your morning routine because this is the most important part of your day. Skipping breakfast is a good way to overeat and snack on junky foods and that won’t help you lose weight. Combine a healthy breakfast with a jog around the block and you’ll be more refreshed than ever before… the perfect start to your workday.

As an added bonus, a good breakfast and morning exercise boosts your mood and increases productivity throughout the whole day.

Take Mandated Breaks

When working on a computer, it’s easy to lose track of the time and overwork yourself. This is why people who work from home on the computer are often suffering from back pain, obesity, and other health problems.

Take responsibility and set a timer. At least once every hour you should get up and stretch for at least 5 minutes.

At least 2 or 3 times a day, spend a minimum of 15 minutes exercising. You can jump rope, run up and down the stairs, do crunches or push-ups, lift weights, or run around the block a few times.

The point is to keep your metabolism working, burn calories, and keep your body active.

As an added bonus, you will return to work feeling refreshed, energized, focused and—you guessed it—more productive.

Snack Healthier

It’s okay to snack while you work, especially if this is part of your routine. But ditch the Doritos for some grapes or pistachios.

As an added bonus, snacking (healthy) throughout the day will prevent over eating at meal time and help with weight loss.

Drink More Water

Most people like to drink a lot of coffee or tea while they work. After your second cup, however, try replacing the caffeine with something your body really needs water.

If you’re one of those people that just can’t stand the (nonexistent) taste of drinking plain water, use a lemon wedge for flavoring.

As an added bonus, staying properly hydrated will help with weight loss, prevent over eating, and keep you feeling healthier and more productive.

Other Stuff

• Pay attention to your posture.
• Alternate between a comfortable office chair and an active sitting chair or a ball chair.
• Create a schedule and stick to it. It’s never fun to work from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep anyways.
• Use the time you aren’t working to make up for the sedimentary hours with various activities that keep you moving.
• Avoid watching TV, playing video games, or sitting when you aren’t working.

Again, if you aren’t experiencing health problems then great! Otherwise, this is a friendly reminder that life is too short and precious to let your health slowly slip away.