Working at home lends itself to all sorts of freedoms, including the freedom to raid the fridge as often as one likes, and the freedom to eat junk instead of meals because it is easier and takes less time away from running your business.

When you work outside your home, there are opportunities for sneaking in exercise. You walk to the car, walk into your workplace and walk around your workplace. Those steps quickly go missing when your office is two rooms away.

Therefore, many of us find ourselves looking for ways to get back in or stay in shape while running a successful home-based business. Here are some basic tips to keep you healthy and energized to reach your goals:

1—Eat sensibly. Following a low-carb eating plan has been recommended by several of my readers as well as several forum members. The sugar rushes and crashes that come with eating a diet high in sugar can make for havoc in running your business. While sugary snacks seem like a great idea for getting a quick burst of energy when you need to meet a deadline, or you don’t have time for a “real meal”, they can quickly backfire on you and lead to a never-ending cycle of blood sugar woes (not to mention outgrowing your jeans.)

Cut-up veggies and dip, tuna and salmon in cans, boiled eggs, nuts and sliced turkey breast are good, healthy items to keep on hand for lunches and snacks.

2—Exercise. In so many ways, working at home means you need to get some exercise. Here are the three types you need to fit into your schedule.

Strength Training: The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Plus, it helps prevent osteoporosis and whole slew of other bad things! Lift some weights two times a week. While sitting at your desk, you can do isometric exercises, such as pulling in your abs and holding them. Household and business chores that require some work (mopping, lifting) can count, too!

Cardio: Keeps your heart healthy, burns calories, clears your complexion, improves metabolism, and so on. If you could bottle cardio, you could sell it for billions! Start with 20 --30 minutes a day of walking if you are new to endurance exercise. Running, swimming, cycling, using a treadmill and taking aerobics classes all count as cardio, too. Minimum recommended is thirty minutes, three times a week.

Stretching: So important for us desk jockeys! Our bodies were not created to spend endless hours pounding a keyboard. No matter what your work, if you stay in any position for too long, your body suffers. Stretching helps maintain flexibility and helps work out the “kinks”. I recommend stretching after both strength training and cardio, and a ten-minute session or even a yoga class will only make you feel better!

For information on starting a walking program, visit the BellaOnline Walking site.

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