How to Stay Fit and Healthy When You’re Working Full Time

It’s no secret that the 8-hour working day exists only on paper. During the era of remote work, many of us work extremely hard. It seems that remote working is now with us for a long time. Staying fit and healthy when working full time is difficult, but it’s even tougher when you have moved abroad. How do you fit in exercise when working full time? And what is the impact of remote work on staying fit and healthy?

In this article, we have brought together everything you need to know to turn the home office into an effective work format – and how to maintain health, strength and joy during work hours at the same time. We want you to get enough sleep, become calmer and develop good habits while working remotely as an expat if suddenly your remote work experience has become not so rosy. We will also cover how to fit in exercise when working full time.

How to stay fit when working full-time as an expat

Working from home is a modern phenomenon. Prior to 2020, working from home was the exception, not the rule. Many people believed that remote work had practically no drawbacks: no need to spend time and money on the commute, follow no dress code, no noisy and distracting colleagues, and in general – you can work from anywhere in the world.

Everything changed in March 2020, and many people were forced into working from home almost overnight. After a few months, reality hit and it became obvious that there are a number of disadvantages to working from home full time as an expat. You may not have to spend money commuting – but it is necessary to equip the workplace. There is much less meaningful human interaction and more meaningless phone calls and virtual meetings.

Employers and employees are still trying to strike a balance between pre-pandemic working in the office and a more flexible remote working culture. Is hybrid working the future of working from home?

• The hybrid work model is preferred by 83% of employees worldwide
• 37% of employees think about switching jobs if they cannot work remotely
• 78% of employees think that hybrid and remote working has enhanced their overall well-being
• However, remote and hybrid working can lead to blurring of work-life boundaries and a feeling of pressure to always be available online
• Work-related tasks outside of work time can make it difficult for workers to ‘switch off’
• Home workers are more likely to work longer hours and eat less healthily when remote working

So, how can you stay fit and find time to exercise when working full time?

1/ Don’t sacrifice sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to irritation, dissatisfaction, bad mood, difficulty concentrating, and as a result, burnout. Studies show that lack of sleep increases the risk of developing heart and vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, being overweight or obese.

Quality sleep should be 7-9 hours long, without problems falling asleep, in silence and coolness. To improve the quality of sleep:

• Use comfortable pillows and mattresses and take care of good bedding. This will help you relax better and avoid back pain.
• Remove all light sources, use blackout curtains, because even slight light can disrupt circadian rhythms.
• It is also better to remove unnecessary sounds. Good quality windows, doors, and using earplugs will help you sleep better.
• Find a suitable temperature for falling asleep; usually, around 18 degrees Celsius is recommended, but it is better to focus on your own feelings so that it is neither too cold nor too hot.
• Get in the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

What to do before bed

1. Ventilate the room – A little fresh air will help you fall asleep.
2. Put your laptop and smartphone in “night mode” – It is better to do this 3 – 4 hours before bedtime to eliminate the influence of the cold screen light. It is most convenient to set automatic switching to night mode depending on the time of day.
3. Avoid gadgets an hour before bedtime – You can read a nice book, do a light stretch, or take a bath. Just a couple of days without using your phone before falling asleep and you will feel the difference.
4. Dim the lighting – You can use special smart nightlights that regulate the level of light themselves. Almost everything can be configured through an application on a smartphone: at a certain time in the morning, the night light will turn on slowly, simulating dawn and making it easier to wake up.

2/ Find time to fit exercise in when working full time

Physical activity is useful not only for the body, but also for the mind: it allows you to switch from mental activity, free yourself from an endless stream of information, and refresh your eyes. Walking and sports are great relaxation for the brain. It is also very beneficial for your mental health. It’s very likely that, 20 minutes of yoga will bring more new ideas than 20 minutes in front of a laptop screen.

Working full time from the office

Office work makes us move more, it’s a fact: the commute from home to work, the gym at or near the office, shopping after work, or walking home. If you are working full time from the office, you could fit in exercise by:

Keeping your gym shoes and sports kit in your car

Small reminders can make a big difference in keeping fit. For example, it may be a good idea to keep your gym bag in the car, or at work. If you have to go home to change and collect your gym essentials, there is a chance you will just stay there.

Cycling to work

When it’s cold outside, and you have a car in the driveway, it’s easy to see why many of us jump in the car to drive to work. Driving to work is usually the easiest option in terms of punctuality, particularly for those with a long commute ahead.

But if it is realistic, you could beat the traffic and improve your health by cycling to work. This is a great way of factoring exercise into your working day – even if only a couple of days a week.

Working full time from home or remotely

Those who switched to remote work and locked themselves with a laptop within four walls often put off sports and walks. Sooner or later the body will let you know that it wants to move.

Loss of productivity, headaches, and poor sleep – these are all consequences of a lack of activity in life.

Use fitness apps

There are many innovative and exciting fitness apps that are great for keeping you motivated throughout the day and making sure that you stick to your regime.

When you already have a million and one things to think about, taking a short exercise break will help. There are fitness apps that can guide you through workouts, track your workouts, keep a count of how many steps you have taken throughout the day and even track how many calories you’re eating!

Try to find time for short workouts from home – there are thousands of YouTube channels with short workouts from 10 to 30 minutes that you can try out from the comfort of your own home, at an intensity that feels comfortable to you.

Yoga and meditation

Research into meditation suggests it can physically change the brain to increase the ability to process information, support the immune system and improve sleep. It can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breath. You mind is bound to wander, but just gently focus on breathing in and out. The more you practice this, the longer you’ll be able to stay focused for. Try different types of meditation to find what works for you, and make it a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

Yoga is also proven to improve flexibility, strength and mental health. Yoga is incredibly beneficial to our overall well-being, including developing inner awareness – it focuses your attention on your body’s abilities at the present moment. Researchers are also studying if yoga can help people with depression and arthritis, and improve survival from cancer.

Before you start a new exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor.

3/ Nutrition and eating healthy when working full time

With the transition to remote work, more than half of workers have changed their diet. The combination of irregular eating with lack of sleep and an inactive lifestyle can lead to excessive weight gain or weight loss and worsen health. Couple that with moving countries and you can find yourself faced with a whole new way of eating – for better or worse.

However, taking care of yourself doesn’t mean sticking to healthy eating at all costs, sometimes an extra hour of sleep or food delivery will do more for you than all the salads in the world. It will help you to stay fit and healthy when working full time.

Order food delivery and meal subscriptions

The need to constantly cook something, if you used to eat ready-made meals, can really hit your morale. So feel free to help yourself in every way you can: sign up for a cooking class to quickly learn new recipes, order a ready-made lunch, a menu subscription, or order groceries with recipes that you can follow.

Pack your lunch

Nutrition is a huge part of staying fit. Those of us who work from the office on large business sites or at inner-city locations will be surrounded by a huge number of fast food outlets. Taking your lunch to work each day helps to avoid the necessity of buying food near the office. To ensure that you don’t forget, always prepare your food the night before. It will also help you save money!

Schedule meal time as a separate task on your to-do list

Put lunch on your calendar so your co-workers won’t be tempted to call you at that time. The ideal option is to set reminders for all your meals so you don’t skip them and then go to bed hungry – or full.

Drink enough water

Put water next to your desk. If the water balance in the body is replenished, the body will feel better.

4/ Support and take care of yourself when working full time

To support and self care, try focusing on these simple guidelines:

1. Arrange a separate workplace in the house to separate work and leisure spaces.
2. Eat a balanced diet and drink enough water – this will allow you to feel good during the working day and will positively affect your health.
3. Movement is a good opportunity to reset your head and improve your well-being.
4. Go offline if possible – Real-life communication is a source of energy and an opportunity to share your joys and anxieties with someone, to stop feeling isolated.
5. Make self-care a part of your daily schedule – schedule time for walks, rest, food and cooking; fit small pleasures into the schedule, even if they don’t seem ‘productive’ at all, like watching a new series.

Staying fit when working full time abroad

Take your time

Even small changes can have a massive impact on your health. So when you first start exercising, it’s important that you pace yourself. Commitment is great, but you don’t want to burn yourself out in the early stages of your fitness journey. For example, start by going to the gym a few times a week and, as your fitness levels improve, you can then start to exercise more frequently.

Take things slowly and give your body time to adjust to your new regime. Even taking a short walk on your lunch break every day can make a big difference.

Wherever you go, go with total peace of mind

Working full time abroad can be challenging. Knowing you have international health insurance that suits your circumstances and gives you access to the best possible care overseas can give you some much needed peace of mind. But it’s essential to check cover limits carefully, as not all global health insurance plans offer the same benefits.

At William Russell, we offer international health insurance that covers you for everything from minor injuries to long hospital stays. Speak to our award-winning customer service team today to see if our policies could be right for you.