Productivity aside, your body might not benefit from remote work

When the Covid-19 pandemic started, many people were quick to note that “We’re all in the same boat!” to ease the anxiety and fear some people felt. The truth was and still is, that this is not the case. While many lost their jobs or businesses and were pushed into financial crisis, others were able to keep working from home without as much of a hiccup. Parents of small children and especially women quickly realized, however, that on top of taking care of their own jobs, they also had to play the role of a teacher and a parent at the same time, all day long. Many women still feel burned out from that experience.

We became less fit and heavier

The same kind of unequal experience seems to have happened to our health in the last three years. While some of us, being freed from the necessity of commuting, have been exercising as much or even more than before the pandemic, many have lost fitness during this time and gotten heavier. As much as 61% of Americans have stated that they gained weight during the pandemic, according to some reports. And this is not a uniquely American problem. The obesity epidemic is accelerating all over the world. Stress is certainly one of the reasons. Humans tend to reach out to unhealthy foods and alcohol when stressed out. The amount of food often increases too because cortisol, the stress hormone, is jagged up and messes with our satiety hormones.

Another reason is the disruption of normal routines. When gyms closed in 2020 and people weren’t able to exercise in groups, folks who rely on external motivation and support such as a coach or an exercise buddy, felt out of sorts. They didn’t have the energy or knowledge to figure out how to stay in shape on their own. Watching Netflix and reaching out for a bag of chips is much easier than putting together a workout and doing it alone several times a week in your cramped home.

But it’s not just about losing the exercise routine. The actual routine of working from home seems to be unhealthy for some of us, as Jordan D. Mitzl reports in this New York Times opinion piece “Working Remotely is Less Healthy Than You Think”. Going to the office requires us to at least walk some steps to get in and out of the office, and often times we walk to get coffee and lunch and to talk to our colleagues at their desks. If you work from home, you don’t need to do any of this, and that fridge is too conveniently close to your home office desk.

“Although daily exercise is part of a healthy movement profile, the NEAT activities are the coals that keep the metabolic fire warm”

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT is all those daily activities and steps we take but don’t really consider as exercise, such as walking to our car, taking the stairs at work, or cleaning our room. Data on step counts during the pandemic shows a decrease in NEAT, and since about 50% of us still mostly work from home, my guess is our step counts are still down. Even if you get 30 minutes to an hour of exercise 5 days a week, being clued to your chair for the rest of the day is unhealthy in many ways. Inactivity and sitting have been shown to have a very strong link to increased risk of disease and mortality. All those steps throughout the day are more important to your health than you might realize.

And our mental health has suffered too

Besides losing physical health, remote work can wreak havoc on our mental health. Extreme introverts aside, most people enjoy and need some type of social interaction to feel happy. Studies have shown increased rates of depression and anxiety during remote work, and the endless zoom meetings aren’t the antidote for that. As humans, we need real in-person relationships to feel connected and to be able to read body language and unstated nuances in communication. Trying to get your boss’ attention via email or slack about an important work issue can be frustrating when you could just pop into her office and solve it on the spot. And we all know when we’re having a bad day that virtual hug just isn’t going to cut it.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who thrive on remote work and have been able to keep fit and lean, give yourself a pat on the back, and keep up the good work! But do consider the ones who might not be doing so well in their isolation. From time to time, ask your friend for a walk and make sure they’re doing okay. And even though you might enjoy remote work and believe it increases your productivity, it might not elevate your health to the same extent.