Diana Marinova

Freelance Mentor & Marketing Consultant

  • Home
  • About me
  • Work with Me
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Blog
  • Free Resources

Start Moving from Day 1 of Your Freelance Career

By Diana Marinova 8 Comments

Start Moving from Day 1 of Your Freeance CareerNot long ago I blogged about the occupational hazards of freelancers. Today I’d like to add one more to that list – lack of exercise and excessive (improper) sitting.

I know what you’re thinking… “Right, I am desperately trying to find clients and a way to get money to pay my rent, she’s nagging me about my sitting. As if I don’t have bigger problems?!”

I thought that, too!

Don’t underestimate the lack of exercise!

I have never been the one to go to the gym every other day taking good care of my physical shape. However, before I started my freelance career, I walked to the office and back every day. These were 5 to 7 km on a daily basis, Mon through Fri, no exception. (For my American readers, Google says it converts to 3-4 miles per day.) And if I went out with friends after work or went on a picnic over the weekend, the mileage was even higher.

Right before I started freelancing, I was a hostess/waitress in a hotel-restaurant for one summer in Greece. You can imagine how much exercise working was back then. 😉

In other words, I was in relatively good shape when I decided to work from home.

I started my freelance career in the autumn. Soon after, it started snowing, it was cold… I didn’t have anywhere to be, neither did I have much money, so I simply stayed mostly at home for a while.

I gained 5 kilograms for less than 2 months! (This is 11 pounds, if you’re wondering…)

Who would’ve thought I’d miss walking to the office and back so much, right? 😉

I didn’t think about this then. I had so many other and more important things to do – make money to pay my rent, pitch that new client, land that other gig, calculate my price for yet another project I am trying to get – you know, important stuff!

Today, 5 years later, I eat better and I move more, but I am still trying to shed that additional weight I gained in my first 2 months as a freelancer.

Bottom line – no matter how much work you have, what your problems are as a starting or experienced freelancer, get out and move at least once per day.

Walk your dog, run with your kids, ride your bike or just walk around the neighborhood. You’ll thank yourself later that you didn’t sit around at home all day every day.

(If you already regularly go to the gym or practice a sport, that’s cool – do that!)

And if you are still on the fence about the importance of moving and not sitting around all day every day, here’s an inforgaphic I found on Lifehack about the dangers of excessive (improper) sitting!

health hazard of sitting infographic
img src: lifehack.org – Click the image to enlarge it and read the text

Find the original infographic and the post that goes with it here.

Filed Under: Working from Home

You may also like:

7 Working from Home Pros and Cons7 Working from Home Pros and Cons You Should Know 5 Myths about Being a Freelancer5 Myths about Being a Freelancer How to Get Freelance Work without ExperienceHow to Get Freelance Work without Experience Why Freelance Social Isolation Is a MythWhy Freelance Social Isolation Is a Myth

About Diana Marinova

I'm a freelance marketing consultant by day and a traveler by heart. ツ I help fellow freelancers and small business owners achieve their goals within budget. Stay updated and get a free ebook - join here!

Comments

  1. Yolanda Joy says

    at

    You’re definitely right! I’m lucky to live in a beautiful town in the mountains as I work via freelancing, but even with beautiful walks right at my door step, it’s all-too-tempting to sit behind my laptop all day. It’s all about balance, and it’s best to set good habits from the start… I’m definitely trying!

    Reply
    • Diana Marinova says

      at

      I am glad this post came as a reminder to you, Yolanda – I love walking outside, too and I know all too well how tempting it is to stay home when you have the opportunity to walk at your door step. I have found that just getting up and walking out of the door in whatever you are wearing at home is the best approach. I tend to postpone walking if I start planning it too much and getting dressed and all. Just get up and walk out. Still reading? Stop! Just get up and walk out right now, for only 5 minutes. You’ll thank me later 😉

      Reply
  2. Elna Cain says

    at

    This is soo true Diana! I’ve recently gained a few pounds and I know it’s from lack of exercise and what I’m eating (more carbs).

    Having twins is difficult and with the snow on the ground, it’s hard to run around. I do shovel once or twice a week so that’s some form of exercise, right? 🙂

    I do have to make effort, though, to actually move around during my work day! Thanks for the infographic!

    Reply
    • Diana Marinova says

      at

      You bring up a very important aspect, Elna – what we eat is as important as moving, maybe even more important. It’s good that working from home gives us the opportunity to plan our meals and develop healthy eating habits… right, it again boils down to habits, I guess 😀

      Reply
  3. Ben Jerew says

    at

    Great things to keep in mind. I have never been one for exercise, but I know it’s something that I’m going to have to implement if I want to keep healthy! Thanks for the great article.

    Reply
    • Diana Marinova says

      at

      You’re welcome, Ben – and good luck developing those habits. Don’t postpone it, just do it 😉

      Reply
  4. Jacqueline Gum says

    at

    I have good gym habits…I go! And I go regularly. I’ve had disk problems for years and learned early on how much damage sitting can do to the back. Although stand up desk are great, I don’t live in a space where I can accommodate one, so I do get up and move! So if the fear of gaining weight isn’t enough to get you moving, living with a bad back…painfully bad back…should!

    Reply
    • Diana Marinova says

      at

      I am sorry to hear about you bad back, Jacquie – that I didn’t know about you 😉 My boyfriend has a bad back sometimes… too bad he hasn’t learned his lesson yet and practices excessive sitting on a daily basis. It’s funny how we tend to postpone exercise because it’s “hard work” while in reality, the more we move, the better we feel, and the more we want to move…

      I envy you (in a good way) for your good gym habits – keep it up and stay healthy!

      Reply

Leave a Comment (and please, use your name :-)Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

  • Blog Marketing and Management
  • Diana Guesting at…
  • Freelance Marketing
  • Freelance Pricing Strategy
  • Freelance Tips
  • General Marketing Tips
  • Social Media Marketing Tips
  • Time Management Tips
  • Using LinkedIn for Freelance Success
  • What's New
  • Working from Home
  • Working with Freelancers

Recommended for New Freelance Writers

Write Your Way to $1K with Elna Cain

Top Posts & Pages

  • Home
    Home
  • Join Email List
    Join Email List
  • How to Craft LinkedIn Updates to Improve Your Marketing as a Freelancer
    How to Craft LinkedIn Updates to Improve Your Marketing as a Freelancer
  • 3 Ways Time Tracking Aids Your Freelance Success
    3 Ways Time Tracking Aids Your Freelance Success
  • How to Make Money Freelancing
    How to Make Money Freelancing

About me

I'm a freelance marketing consultant by day and a traveler by heart. ツ I blog to help fellow freelancers and small business owners achieve their goals within budget. Click here to learn more about me...

My Book on Amazon

Diana's Freelance Tips

Let’s Connect

Check my services page and complete the form there if you want to hire me. Use the contact form on my contact page to get in touch for anything else. And be sure to connect on social media!
Follow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on YouTube
  • Home
  • About me
  • Work with Me
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Blog
  • Free Resources

Copyright © 2025 · Diana Marinova · Terms of Use, Disclosure & Privacy · Contact me

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok