Medically reviewed by
Dr. Art Jordan
McLeod Orthopaedics

Sports Medicine specialists normally work with high school athletes, weekend warriors, master athletes and professionals. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, another concern is the wellbeing of all those people Working From Home (WFH).

“Research by the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that, even before COVID-19, adults were sitting about 60% (8 hours) of their waking day,” says McLeod Sports Medicine Specialist Dr. Art Jordan. “Too much sitting increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, it’s important to find ways to keep moving.”

Simple tips include:

• Whenever possible, stand up rather than sitting.
• Take a walk break every time you take a coffee or tea break.
• Stand up and walk around when talking on the phone.
• Take a short walk after lunch.
• Put “walking breaks” on your daily calendar as a reminder to get moving.

Some Work-From-Home folks may want to engage in or restart more vigorous exercise, such as jogging, biking or shooting basketball. Here’s a quick 5 question physical readiness quiz:

• Do you have chest pain during physical activity?
• In the past month have you had chest pain when NOT engaged in physical activity?
• Do you get dizzy or lose your balance?
• Do you have a bone or joint problem that physical activity could make worse?
• Are you on medication for high blood pressure or heart problems?

If you answered “yes” to one or more questions, check with your personal physician before exercising.

“To prevent injuries during the more strenuous exercises, warm up first,” says Dr. Jordan. “Do some stretches before you start. If you’re just getting back into exercising after staying at home during the pandemic, it may take a while to get back to your previous level. If you’re having pain, take a break. If the pain goes away after 5 minutes, you can probably resume the exercise. If you still have significant pain, you should see your personal physician or an Orthopedic Specialist.”

Find an Orthopedic Specialist near you.