In theory it is easier to be healthy when working from home says personal trainer Rob Carr.

No office snacks or birthday cake, you can cook healthy meals, and exercise in any spare time.

But in reality you’re probably working home alone all day, slouched in your chair with no back support, using a laptop that isn’t at the right height, ‘boredom’ snacking every hour, and not having the time or energy to make a proper lunch.

If you really must have a snack, try a cup of tea, coffee or glass of water, wait 15 minutes and see if you’re still hungry.

Try opting for a high-protein breakfast, as this will reduce cravings; and during the day snack on carrot/cucumber/celery sticks, rice cakes, fruit or a handful of nuts.

And earn your fuel – you will be moving less than you did, and your calorie consumption needs to go down as well.

If not, then hello lockdown waistline!

Put simply, if you used to walk 8,000 steps a day, but it’s now 2,000, that is a huge difference in energy output.

So to stay the same weight, your calorie intake has to reduce; so cut portion sizes, change or stop snacks, and keep alcohol to a minimum.

And a ‘proud, productive posture prevents pain’ – try saying that ten times quickly! But it really does.

Poor posture can change the structure of your spine, your flexibility decreases, muscles shorten, others lengthen, and back pain is almost inevitable.

So be aware of your posture and understand how it feels when you sit. You will then be able to correct rounded shoulders, a flexed neck and a rounded lower and upper back.

Creating a healthy work-life balance is hard enough when you’re in an office all day, but it can be even harder when work and life are happening in the same place.

But you probably used to travel anywhere from 30 minutes up to two hours getting from home to the office. The time is still there, but how you use it may have changed.

So ‘block book’ the start and end of your day for a 20-minute walk – this could easily add up to 8,000 steps or more per day.

And having a clear start and finish to your day will stop you from over-working; very important for your mental wellbeing.

Try the ‘Pomodoro’ effect; this tool was developed in the 1980s by Francecesco Cirillo to help him focus on his studies, and it helps resist interruptions and stay focused.

Start by writing a to-do list and give yourself a rigidly-set period to complete each task. When the task time is up, tick the list, and enjoy a five-minute break.

After four tasks with short breaks, take a longer, more restorative 15 to 30-minute break

This system is simple and helps keep you working, so keeping feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed at a minimum.

And remember to switch off for your 20-minute end-of-day walk!

I appreciate there may be days and weeks where you need to work late, but try not to make it a habit, as we may be working from home for some time.

I hope you find this useful and can implement at least one change toward healthy home working.

If you need any help or advice, email me at [email protected] and I’ll be more than happy to help.