Working from home often means countless hours of sitting. There’s no need to get in your car and go get lunch, you have a full refrigerator within your reach. There’s no break room to walk to, there are no friends to go chat with. So how do you stay healthy and fit when you are working from home on your home business? Today I’m going to share with you my top five ways to stay fit while working on your home business.

1| Take a brisk walk

You don’t need a gym membership to get in your daily suggested amount of exercise. Taking a break every two hours or a brisk walk around the neighborhood is a great way to stay fit while working on your home business. Walking gets your heart rate up and blood flowing. It increases endorphin production which is a hormone that stimulates happiness in your body and your brain.

Walking not only improves your mood but it also helps your heart. Walking vigorously for 20 minutes a day improves your heart muscle’s elasticity allowing it to beat easier. In essence, your heart can work easier if you increase your heart rate daily. Let’s not get started on those clients who might raise your blood pressure a little bit during the day, you know what I’m talking about. Taking a brisk walk also has been proven to dramatically lower your blood pressure.

2| Do a 20-minute Circuit Workout in the Middle of Your Day

If you have the time, throw on some workout clothes and do a 20-minute circuit workout in your garage. This is a great way to get your blood flowing and improve your muscle tone and bone density. This workout involves no equipment, meaning it will cost you nothing but your time.

Take a look at this 20-minute circuit workout by Woman’s Day Magazine that you could easily incorporate in your day-to-day home business:

Do each move for 20 seconds at a maximum effort. Rest for 10 to 15 seconds in between. Repeat this circuit a total of four times.

• High Knees - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Froggers - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Speed skaters - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Plank jack & Knee tucks - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Tuck Jumps - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Mountain climbers - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Squat jump turns - 20 seconds

• Take a 10 second break

• Burpees - 20 seconds

3| Get in a routine

The easiest way to stay fit while working on your home business is to get into a routine (see my post on starting a new routine). Create a schedule that you can stick to daily in order to maximize your health. Whether you wake up early in the morning to work on your business and exercise in the afternoon, or exercise in the morning, and work on your business in the afternoon, the benefits will be the same. The entire goal of getting into a routine is to set up your body to expect what will happen throughout the day.

Studies have shown that it takes 30 repetitive days for your brain to adjust to a schedule. If you can stick out the schedule for 30 days it will become a part of your home business routine. Staying fit while working from home can be easy if you give it the proper amount of time and attention.

4| Drink water

This should be a no-brainer. But when working from home it’s very easy to grab a second, third, or even a fourth cup of coffee during the day. Tell yourself for every cup of coffee that I drink today I must drink 16 ounces of water. If you are a soda drinker do the same. For every can of soda that you drink you must drink 16 ounces of water.

Water is so much more than just hydration for your body. It helps purify your skin, reduce headaches, and leaves you with an all-around wellness.

5| Meditate

When people hear the word Meditate, they freak out. They think I’m not into that weird stuff. More studies are showing that closing your eyes to meditate for just 2 minutes during your day is great for your mental health. Oh, did you not think mental health is a part of staying fit while working on your home business?! It most certainly is! If your headspace isn't clear then you most definitely aren’t going to remember to stop and do a 20-minute workout or to take a break.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Now, maybe mediation is a scary word for you. Think about it as deep breathing. You don’t have to repeat any mantras, just close your eyes and breath in and breath out. Breathe in for four breaths, breathe out through your mouth for four breaths. You will be so surprised at how relaxed and rejuvenated you will feel after doing this for two minutes.

It’s easy to get carried away in the day to day demands of running a home business. One thing is for sure, you don’t want to get burned out. Take breaks, relax, drink water, and most importantly when you feel super overwhelmed, stop and BREATHE! Staying healthy and fit is so important to your business! You want to produce your best work possible for your clients so, in order to do that, you need to feel your best. Now, go get your tennies and get moving!

Do you have other exercise tips to share that helps you stay fit while working your business? I would love to hear!