The list of perks that remote work can offer is almost limitless. The ability to set your own hours or work your schedule around your other commitments is probably chief among them, but you also don’t have to spend a fortune on office attire or spend up to 2 hours a day (or more) just on your commute alone – which also cuts down significantly on expenses. Working remotely can also have its drawbacks, however, which include making it difficult to separate work and home life and becoming too sedentary. Here are 5 reasons why you want to get and elliptical if you are a remote worker.
1. Not having to leave the house can make it harder to leave the house
When you don’t have to leave the house to go to work, it can make it tempting to just not leave the house at all sometimes. With the number of delivery services on the rise, it is easier than ever to just stay put. If you have just a single piece of great exercise equipment right in your house, however, you are increasing the chances that you will at least work out, even if you don’t make it to the gym.
2. You can use the elliptical to do “micro-workouts”
While the best workouts for physical fitness still remain longer and more intense sessions, there are a number of huge benefits still to be reaped from “micro-workouts” – or workout sessions as short as 10 minutes. Not only will they help you maintain better physical fitness between longer workout sessions, but they can give you a quick brain and energy boost throughout the day. While there is certainly evidence that a cup or two of coffee each can have a number of health benefits, drinking too much coffee or drinking coffee too late in the day can actually be detrimental. Instead of relying on caffeine to keep you alert throughout the afternoon, try a few minutes on the elliptical instead.
3. You can work while you work out
Ellipticals can not only provide a great total body workout, but you can also use them while you are doing other things. Need to be in on a long conference call that doesn’t necessarily require your participation? Jump on the elliptical. Waiting for a file to render or reach a point where you can move forward until you get something from someone else? Spend the time doing a quick workout on the elliptical. If reading is a large part of your job description, that’s something you can also do on the elliptical.
4. Suitable for even the smallest spaces
An elliptical is a single versatile machine that can give you a great workout but can still fit in a very small space. The Stamina In Motion elliptical trainer doesn’t offer the bars that will give you an upper body workout, but it weighs in at a minuscule 24 pounds and you can use it sitting or standing. This means you can place it under your desk and even burn some calories and get your blood pumping while you are working on your laptop or desktop computer.
5. Helps boost your memory and improve brain function
Aside from being a far better way of pushing through the traditional “2:00 slump”, using an elliptical can also help improve brain function and memory. Not only will this help you be more productive in the short term, but in the long term it can help stave off a number of age-related disorders like dementia.
6.Helps create a better cycle of health
Getting good exercise doesn’t do you a whole lot of good if you maintain a terrible diet, but maintaining a good diet is much harder if you are not getting enough sleep. Exercise, diet and sleep are all part of the “Holy Triad” of health. Exercise helps you sleep better, and being well-rested in turn helps you make better food choices, which in turn gives you the energy you need to work hard and stay fit at the same time. Being a remote worker puts you in the very best position to maintain all three of these critical components of good health. In fact, a Remote Collaborative Worker Survey conducted by CoSo Cloud showed that 45% of remote workers reported getting more sleep, 35% reported getting more physical exercise, and 42% reported eating healthier.
The ability to work remotely carries with it a huge number of perks and benefits. Remote workers report savings of as much as $5,240 per year in expenses and a greater ability to spend time with family, friends and loved ones. That being said. remote workers also have to work harder to adhere to certain personal disciplines, like budgeting their time wisely and staying focused and motivated. Getting an elliptical can help with that.