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Can telework improve your health?

By Jeff Zbar
Net.Worker, 03/25/02

Working from home doesn't just give Helen Grijalva a chance to work her job. It also lets her work her body.

By avoiding the 15-mile commute into Washington, D.C., Grijalva has more time for herself - to walk, exercise or otherwise do her body good.

"A break away from the desk and a walk allows you to come back more productive and refreshed," says Grijalva, agency telework coordinator in the worklife program group with the Office of Management in the U.S. Department of Education. "Especially after you've had a heavy lunch."

Unfortunately, Grijalva is in the minority. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that fewer than 30% of Americans exercise enough each day, which means obesity could soon surpass cigarettes as the leading cause of preventable death. And far too few teleworkers take advantage of their flexible schedules to build in an exercise regime.

A daily 30-minute walk - or a shorter run or jog - could cut by more than 30% the incidence of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and depression, as well as control weight, according to the CDC. The Center also recommends bike riding, raking leaves, mowing the lawn or playing volleyball. Weight training, stretching and yoga helps stimulate the body and invigorates the mind, adds Robert Fellows, president of WorkAndWellness.com, which promotes exercise and wellness in the corporate workplace.

Many companies invest in workplace fitness centers or offer free memberships to area gyms. "We should follow suit and do this at home," says Fellows, who frequently works - and works out - from home. His daily regimen: a combination of resistance training with light hand weights, aerobic exercise, stretching and yoga.

Exercise doesn't have to come all at once. Several shorter breaks designed to break the monotony and raise the heart rate are good, too - especially for workers who don't have a 30-minute block of time to spare. Fellows typically exercises around 4 p.m., the time his productivity begins to slide. By taking a 30-minute walk, he returns ready to work into the evening.

"I gain an hour and a half by investing half an hour," he says. "You actually end up with more productive time."

Just don't hit the fridge while taking that break. The kitchen is a common distraction to the at-home worker. Instead of snacking on high-fat snack foods and heavy leftovers, keep fruits, vegetable or low-fat crackers around. If nibbling is a common nuisance, enforce a "No Food in the Office" rule, and resist visits to the kitchen.