One of my girlfriends also owns her own business. But, unlike me, she's on the move all day-she's a housecleaner. And, she's a fit little thing, too!
On the other hand, in order for me to categorize my day as "good," I need to move as little as possible. The longer I am near-motionless in this chair, the better my output. But such things are not good for your health!
In the early years of starting my business, I gained a lot of weight, solely by virtue of being an at-home freelance writer. Now, I didn't change my eating habits. It wasn't the fault of the snack cabinet or access to the fridge. Nope, it was solely the fact that I moved as little as possible.
I came from a job at a University, where parking was at a premium. Therefore, whenever I had to visit another department or college, it usually involved a 10-20 minute walk, every day, sometimes 2-3 times per day. In addition, my office was on the third floor of a building with a creaky elevator, but other offices were on other floors. So I did a lot of climbing. Since a lot of my job was PR- oriented, I also did a lot of standing at cocktail parties (where I wasn't allowed to drink due to being on the clock).
Fast forward to this home office, and this change in career. I take my kids to school, sit for 6 hours, and then pick up my kids. In the early years, as I was getting established, I'd then sit for another 6 hours at night (family-permitting). Then, I'd do it again on the weekends! Establishing this business was really hard on my body.
I did eventually take matters into my own hands. I had to! I now work out with a trainer, run 5Ks, and take tons of classes at the local YMCA (kettleball, pilates and spinning--all really fun). But, in order to do this, I have to leave my seat. I have to stop writing. I have to call it a day before I want to, sometimes.
I'm still working on balance. Although I'm 20 pounds lighter, I can see my writing income go back and forth because of it. It's worth it, I know that, but still ... Have you found balance yet? Do you sit 6-8 hours a day? More importantly, do you have a snack cabinet? :)
I’ve spent most of my days on my butt in front of a computer over the last 15 years as a freelance writer.
I focus on good posture, ergonomics, and relaxation while in the chair.
I also exercise everyday. My routine can vary, but typically I do 10 minutes of yoga and 30-60 minutes of tai chi, plus take at least one walk with my golden retriever.
I also lift weights twice a week. This, when done properly, can maintain good muscle tone and balance in your body.
Hi Allena,
I tend to sit about 5 – 6 hours a day at work. I get up for walking breaks and also started working out in the mornings before the day job. At first, I used that time solely for writing, but then added the workouts. I love it and have noticed that my pants are looser and my tummy’s flatter.
And that’s only with a month’s worth of workouts! 
Take care. And no snack cabinet. I try to keep the junk food out of the house. I also don’t deprive myself of eating anything. I just make sure to eat smaller portions and I’m satisfied. Take Care!
Great post! I really need to get better at balance. I don’t get nearly as much time as I like to working because my two middle children get out of school at 2:30. I don’t usually get home from the morning carpooling until 10 on some days depending on appointments (mine of one of my four children’s) or errands. Most days I only get about four hours during the day and as little as two.
I’m actually looking forward to the summer hours when all the kids will be in summer camp with the oldest going to a summer program at her college. I’ll have the opportunity to work some 40-hour weeks and then I will feel like taking at least 30 minutes per day to workout isn’t a poor use of my time.
I know I need the physical activity because of medical problems and staying in shape as I get older, it’s just hard to make the time.
Oh, the snack cabinet, I have one but I have pretty good self control.
I would like to freelance write from home and find myself sitting for long periods of time blogging and writing fiction. Then comes the exercise. I gained about twenty or so pounds since last year and am thinking of working out more to shed the fat.
My balance is: after work, I snack then exercise…would rather sleep.
What seems to work for me is exercising from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, at a local gym. Then, I walk whenever the weather is decent in the evenings and/or weekends.
I have carpal tunnel and get back pain because my desk isn’t ergonomic. I am writing an article about the health risks of working at a desk right now, and some of the research I have come across is pretty frightening. Once the article is published I’ll share the link on Twitter as it is stuff that anyone who works long hours on the computer should be aware of.
In my early days, I sit all day long looking at the screen of my laptop thinking that all I need to do is work and earn more money. After some time, I started to gain weight gradually and I realised it was time to reorganise the way I work at home. Therefore, after working for several hours, I would get up and do my household chores. Then, I would take a break and get back to work. Now, I get to maintain my weight and stay healthy.
I’m just getting into a routine of going to the gym at 7am a couple of mornings per week as well as later on on other days. It’s noticeable how much more awake I feel after starting the day with a workout and how much you find yourself raring to go afterwards. The hard part is getting out of bed to exercise on an empty stomach but once I’m in the gym it’s usually fine.
I think the other bonus is that it becomes part of your routine so you get up and exercise regularly and can still be at your desk by 9am.