If you’re familiar with our corporate beliefs (and if you’re not, here’s a cheat sheet), you’ll know that we believe in being great people to work with—and in alignment with that belief, we strive to create an environment where RVers are able to bring their best selves to work. But creating this environment requires more than just providing comfortable desk chairs or throwing the occasional team happy hour—it means caring for our employees at a fundamental level, including supporting their health and well-being.
This is why—for the third year in a row—we’re bringing back our annual Movement Challenge: a 21-day initiative aimed at encouraging RVers to build healthy movement into their daily routines. To help with this, we worked with our Healthline Fitness team to provide employees with a ton of health-focused resources and engagement opportunities, including recommended reading on everything from nutrition to mobility, and a calendar of live virtual workout classes led by guest instructors AND RVers.
But we didn’t want to keep all this healthy goodness to ourselves! We reached out to a few of our in-house wellness experts from our RV Health brands, including Healthline and PlateJoy, for their top tips on prioritizing wellness while working from home. (Fun fact: All of these RVers led wellness seminars at our annual all-company CultureFEST in November and received some of the highest session ratings segments we’ve ever seen.) Check out their recommendations below!
Physical wellness: “I can’t seem to get into a workout routine”
We’ve all heard it. Without a routine, it’s easy to fall into bad habits. We sit at our desks all day, sometimes only taking steps from the bed to the kitchen. So how do we change this? We reached out to two of our physical wellness gurus, Saralyn Ward and Juhie Rathor, for their advice for taking care of our bodies during WFH or hybrid schedules.
Saralyn Ward, Pilates Extraordinaire and Fitness Editor for Healthline
“I’m the lead fitness editor for Healthline. We just launched Healthline Fitness as it’s own sub-brand in October. Prior to this, I was an editor on the Parenthood team.”
Put effort into your workspace
Make time for wellness
“The hardest thing about WFH is that there is no delineation between work demands, home demands, and your own well-being. It’s easy to get bogged down in the to-do list, which seems to hit from all sides of the work-life spectrum. Setting time aside that you commit to your own fitness and wellness is critical.”
Start with little steps
“Even if you can’t fit in a full workout, try to go for a walk. Studies have shown that just 10 minutes a day of brisk walking can boost your mental state.”
Try stretching exercises
“Some of my favorite stretches are easy to do against a wall or in a door frame, like this one.”
Saralyn’s go-to exercise tip
Just begin, even if it’s just standing up and stretching once a day, or going for a walk. When you start moving, you will feel better, and then you’ll crave more of it.
Juhie Rathor, Yoga Mentor and Influencer Marketing Strategy Manager for Healthline
“I enjoy my work because I get to build relationships with influential people in the health and wellness space. These people are changing lives by sharing their personal stories, and it’s an honor to collaborate with these change-makers.”
First thing’s first: Take breaks
Fight Zoom fatigue
“I personally struggle with Zoom fatigue and sitting all day, I’m sure I’m not alone. I appreciate when my coworkers understand that I’d like to go ‘camera-off.’ This helps me rest my eyes from a screen, stretch, or even take my call while on a walk.”
Stay nimble, even when you’re at your desk
“Try a seated cat-cow: it only takes 1-2 minutes. Do this from a seated position, no equipment required.”
For more, check out Healthline’s article on cat-cow exercises.
Juhie’s go-to physical wellness tip
“Stay hydrated, snack often, and stand/stretch between meetings. Keep your mind and body sharp so you can do your best and feel your best.”
Nutritional wellness: “But the pantry is right there!”
Do you ever hear the Cheezits box calling your name between meetings? (No? Just us?) A little midday indulgence can be hard to beat while working from home, but according to RV nutritional expert Natalie Holzhauer, creating healthy habits is about more than moments of self-control. It’s about creating a routine.
Natalie Holzhauer, RV Health Coach for PlateJoy
“Prior to being full-time at PlateJoy as a health coach, I had a year where I was a contract worksite wellness Dietitian and one of my clients was RV employees. I would go to the RV Charlotte campus once or twice a week and counsel employees who wanted to improve their diets. I loved it so much! When a role as a health coach came open at PlateJoy, I knew I had to work for such a fantastic company.”
Maintaining a routine
“My suggestion is to set and stick to a schedule that works best for you. This may take a little planning and work up front, but your body will thank you for it. This means plan in exercise, set-alarms for breaks, think about food ahead of time and maybe do some batch cooking on the weekend to set yourself up for success for the week.”
Stop canceling on yourself
Don’t skip out on the protein
“My favorite tip is to always have protein with a meal or snack. This really helps with fullness.”
Avoid strict dieting
“Most diets have three things in common: They allow fruits, allow vegetables, and they require you to always be mindful/accountable for what you are eating. If you have those three ingredients, you do not need to be on a diet.”
General wellness: “How do I put myself first?”
Wellness is about more than diet and exercise, but sometimes it can be hard to find out the routines that are right for you. We asked RV wellness expert Brooke Mathe to walk us through some of her suggestions for putting wellness into practice.
Brooke Mathe, Wellness Integrity Manager on the Healthline Medical Affairs Team
“I joined Healthline in June of this year as the Wellness Integrity Manager on the Medical Affairs Team. My role is to make sure that our content is evidence-based, accurate and up to date in the wellness space, which comprises nutrition, fitness and sleep.”
Stay hydrated
“This means having a glass or water bottle on your desk at all times. The more we see something, the more likely we are to engage in it—so it has to be front and center on our desk.”
Walk as much as you can
Find something you enjoy
“The research tells us that it’s unlikely we will stick to ‘exercise’ unless we find joy in it. So find movement that brings you joy, and incorporate that into your day/week/life. And remember that every little bit counts, so if you start by adding in a 10 minute walk every morning, that’s a win, and it will absolutely impact your health! It’s more about being consistent than about making huge unsustainable changes that you stick to for a week.”
Brooke’s go-to wellness tip
“Avoid staying in one position for long periods of time and avoid skipping breaks.”
The bottom line: Creating habits is key
Remote or hybrid work has become the new normal for many of us—we’re used to it. But just because our setting has changed, doesn’t mean our standards need to. Whether you’re commuting 10 miles or 10 steps, caring for your health and well-being is still core to bringing your best self to work.
By setting healthy routines, you’ll be on track for success even on the days where you feel tired or drained. Take it from our RV health experts: Letting yourself take breaks when you need them and creating strong habits are the best ways to keep yourself motivated, energized, and feeling good.
Want to learn more about what it’s like to work at RV? Check out this article, featuring some of our newer “pandemic hires” and their transitions into the organization.
