Jul
3
Five ways to fit health into your schedule
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Exercise, Time Management, Weight Loss, Work Out | Leave a Comment
Some of the most common complaints people have when it comes to controlling their health is scheduling. They simply don’t see a way to fit eating healthy and exercising into their already busy schedules. Yesterday we talked about fitting little chunks of healthy behavior into those three minute breaks we all take through the day. Today we’re going to talk about ways to fit in longer segments of healthy behavior.
1. Make your walk into a meeting
For some reason, people tend to think of a walk as a break. As though you can only take walks away from work and not as part of your work. However, a few years ago I worked for a man who showed me that a walk can also be an excellent forum for one on one meetings. Whenever he wanted to speak to me about something we would step out of the building and walk. Depending on the length of the meeting, this could mean a five minute walk or a thirty minute one.
Now this isn’t suitable for all your meetings but it’s ideal for one on one’s. Any time you need to talk to just one person, why not make a walk out of it? It’s better for you than sitting down and it frequently makes for a better meeting. When we walked outside, there was little chance of being interrupted by anyone else. There were no emails or phone calls. We could just focus on our discussion and the topic at hand. So next time you need to talk to someone, ask them to step outside and take a walk with you. By the way, this can also work for gym workouts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve discussed projects with coworkers while lifting weights or running on the treadmill.
2. Make your workout into a research session
Part of my job consists of keeping up with industry trends, government regulations and general news. I also like keeping up on my reading and I often enjoy a good book or magazine. So how can I fit all that into my schedule while still getting enough time to exercise? Easy!
Just invest a few dollars in a cheap MP3 player like an iPod Shuffle. The cost on these is about $70 and you can find used ones even cheaper. Then look at the variety of free podcasts and audio books available on iTunes and other sources. With the Shuffle and the podcasts, I can use my workout time to do more than just workout. I usually listen to a Spanish lesson, current news and I’ve recently added a podcast of an economics course from UCBerkeley. All of these were available for free online. So while I lift weights, I’m also learning another language, listening to the news and learning about the world around me.
As an added bonus, if you find an interesting topic, you’ll notice those cardio workouts get a lot easier. For some reason, cardio always goes by quicker and easier when your brain is distracted.
3. Brownbag your lunch
Yep, you heard me, I said the B word. Now I know what most of you are thinking. “Brown bag it? Come on, I haven’t done that since high school.” Well, get used to thinking of brown bagging as your new healthy option. Bringing food from home can save you on time, money and calories. You’ll know exactly what you’re eating and you won’t be tempted to overeat with those huge restaurant portions. And yes, you can still get your networking in even if you brown bag it.
For more information, see this great article on the benefits of brownbagging it from The Simple Dollar.
4. Make your cardio workout into a social event
How often have you been caught in a scheduling conflict? You told yourself you would get some cardio in, perhaps a jog or an hour on the treadmill, but now you have friends asking for your time, a significant other telling you they need more of your time and family members asking you to stop over. How about combining the two and make your cardio exercise into a social function.
There are a variety of activities that can elevate your heart rate while also including a social aspect. Hiking and biking are all great activities to invite your friends on. Dancing is a new option for a date that will also get your feet moving. Heck, with the advent of the Wii, you can even play video games that get your heart pumping. The key is to identify these and select them rather than another night at the movies or another evening of computer games.
Instead of jogging this week, how about you make one dance date, one hiking date and set aside two hours to play Wii tennis with a friend? It’s not quite the ideal exercise routine but it’s certainly better than the zero exercise you would have gotten otherwise.
5. Workout while you work
There are a variety of ways in which you can combine exercise into your work. They range from the simple, like sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair, to the not so simple, like using an under the desk treadmill or stationary bike. The bottom line for all of them is keep moving.
For many people, work may consist of nothing more than typing on a computer or using a phone. Well guess what, that leaves the entire rest of your body free to exercise, doesn’t it? So while your upper body may be working on a computer, your lower body can be pedaling away. While your brain is busy reading an email, your arm could be lifting a weight. Exercise is a simple activity involving a very limited part of your body. There’s no reason why you can’t do it while you work.
Summary
The key to fitting good health into a busy schedule is multitasking. Make your time count by using it for multiple purposes at once. Exercise while you work, eat healthy while you network and so on. You’ll find that you have more time and that health itself becomes more fun.
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Jul
2
Get Healthy In Three Minutes
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Exercise, Time Management, Weight Loss, Work Out | 23 Comments
Over at Daily Blog Tips, they’re running a little contest. They want people to write posts that involve the number 3. Since it seemed like a cute enough idea, I figured I would try it. The first thing that came to mind was a topic related to last week’s series of articles about common workout myths.
Myth
You’ll often hear people saying that they don’t have time to be healthy. Eating right and working out are just too time intensive and their schedule does not allow them the luxury of going to the gym or shopping for their own food. There seems to be a belief that being healthy if something you can only do if you have large chunks of spare time.
Truth
Now tomorrow we’re going to talk about making room in your schedule for larger blocks of fitness like workouts. It is in fact possible, and you don’t even need to quit your job. For today, I’m going to show you some healthy things you can do in those little breaks we all have. So if you’re done with that project, thinking about your next meeting or moving on to your next task, here is a list of things you can do in three minutes to keep yourself healthy.
Workout - Yep, you can actually get a decent workout in three minutes. I do this every morning when I wake up. Ten pushups, ten sit ups, ten leg lifts, ten lunges and ten toe touches. Do them slowly and with good form and you’ve spent a total of 180 seconds getting a decent workout for every major muscle group.
Eat a snack - Didn’t think healthy things would involve eating, did you? However, healthy snacks are actually good for you. They keep your energy level higher between meals and they fill you up so you avoid overeating during mealtimes. Now healthy snack does not mean candy bar and a coke. It means fruit or vegetables, and no, some carrots drowned in ranch dressing are not healthy. Keep it simple, fresh fruit or vegetables with nothing else added. Half an apple, a handful of walnuts or even a banana are a great way to spend three minutes.
Walk up and down some stairs - In three minutes, I can walk up and down the stairs at my work six times. That’s about 20 calories. Doesn’t sound like much? Well, it’s higher than the number of calories you spend sitting on your butt in your cute, isn’t it? And hey, if I do that twice a day for 40 calories and for 20 days in a month, I’ll work off 800 calories that month that I wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s a 1/4 of a lb I just lost. Not bad for a three minute workout.
Stretch - This is something you can easily do in the office. Get up out of that chair and stretch your muscles. Three minutes is enough to stretch every major muscle group. You’ll feel better and your body will thank you when you go workout later.
Drink some water - Water is something most people don’t get enough of. So take a 180 second break to properly hydrate yourself. Your body often mistakes thirst for hunger, so getting enough to drink will also make it less likely that you’ll over eat.
Summary
Remember, health is not something you think about at the gym and then forget about. It’s something you should make a part of your life. Whether you have 3 minutes or 3 hours, there’s always something you can do to improve your health.
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Jun
4
Reader Q&A - Work out at your desk
Filed Under Exercise, Reader Q&A, Time Management, Work Out | Leave a Comment
I have an email from a reader in regards to working out at your desk. They ask if such a thing is possible and if so, could I recommend a couple of options.
The answer is yes, it is indeed possible to workout at your desk, while you work. With a little effort, you can get a very decent workout right in front of the computer and without interrupting your work. It won’t be as good as good as an actual workout, but it certainly beats sitting on your butt doing nothing. So here are some options:
Exercise Ball - I wrote about these in a previous post. They’re large inflatable balls with a variety of uses. You see them used in gyms for a variety of exercises, but you can also use them at the office as a chair. The unstable nature of the ball and the lack of a backrest mean you’ll maintain a good posture and your legs will be busy keeping you from sliding to one side or another. The result is a better lower back and stronger legs.
Stationary Bike - When you hear stationary bike, you tend to think of a gym and some large piece of machinary. However, there are some models that could fit under your desk. Here’s one example of a small pedaling device you can use at work.
Remember, being fit doesn’t have to mean abandoning everything else in favor of hours at the gym. You can easily get healthier and fitter without ever stepping in a gym. Just make sure you’re maximizing your potential by using your time properly. There’s no reason to sit still, even if you are sitting at your desk.
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May
7
HEALTH AND WEALTH; save your money while improving your health
Filed Under Exercise, Money, Time Management, Work Out | Leave a Comment
This week’s topic is ways to improve your health while also improving your finances.
Health and Wealth
Most people think of health as something only wealthy people are concerned with. After all, when you’re poor, do you really have time to worry about getting fit? Are you really concerned with a proper diet when you’re worried about where your next meal is coming from? Plus getting fit is so expensive. With gym memberships, personal trainers, exercise equipment, organic foods and vitamin supplements, folks don’t think they can afford to be healthy. That’s where this week’s topic comes in. We’re going to discuss ways to be healthy AND save money.
A Healthy Commute
The first and most important money saving and health oriented change you can make is your transportation. With the price of gas rising, we spend quite a bit of money on our commute. Why not save this money while getting a good workout by changing to walking or biking?
My commute to my old office was around four miles. Driving there in my car meant about .4 gallons a day. Doesn’t sound like much, but let’s do a little bit of math. .4 gallons a day at California prices of $3.40 a gallon works out to around $1.36 a day. That’s a $1.36 I’m paying to be less healthy.
Does that make sense? I was actually paying money to be less healthy. And that doesn’t even include the price of maintenance on the car. Instead, I could have bought a cheap mountain bike. They cost around $200 new and you can buy them used for around $50 to $100. So my payback period would have been 2 to 4 months. Plus I would have been getting a good workout every morning of those months. Commute time would have gone from 10 minutes in a car, to 20 minutes on a bike and I’d have saved a bit of time by not having to look for a parking spot.
Walking, Oldest and Best Exercise
That’s just one example of how alternative transportation methods can save you money and improve your fitness. Here’s another, walking. The simplest and best exercise ever created. Walking isn’t just for fitness. Thousands of years of history consist of little more than people walking to get from place to place. Guess what, your feet are just as good for transportation now as they were then.
This weekend I had a few errands to run. I needed to go to the bank and then pick up some duct tape at the local hardware store. Driving would have taken about 5 to 10 minutes each way. Walking took about 20 minutes each way. Again, I did lose a bit of time, but I saved money. I didn’t spend on gas, I didn’t put any more miles on my car and I got a decent workout.
Walking for about 40 minutes total at an easy pace meant an expenditure of about 200 calories. It’s not much but it makes a difference. Plus the constant motion and movement of walking is a great way to boost your metabolism. I try to walk to my errands as much as I can, but I also try to walk to lunches or dinners when possible. A brisk walk after a meal is perfect to avoid that food coma, plus knowing you have to walk home will help you prevent overeating.
Bonus Effect!
And here’s another little way in which this can help you save money. When I walk or bike, I make it impossible for me to make those bad purchase decisions that always end up costing me money. On the way to the hardware store I stopped by a local electronics store. I’m usually tempted to buy a few things while I’m there but that day I didn’t because I knew I would have to carry them back. Same for the hardware store. Rather than buy that new tool box I didn’t really need, I stuck to the duct tape I did need because my carrying capacity is limited.
Longer Commutes
Walking and biking are two excellent exercises that can be used as a means of transportation. For short errands or short commutes, they’re great ways of saving money. If you have a longer commute, you may want to consider walking or biking down to your local public transportation. Most public transportation systems allow bikes and you’ll find that your commute is a lot less hectic and a lot more productive when you’re not in your car. You have time to read, work or just get a bit of extra sleep. All that while getting some good exercise AND saving money.
Summary
This week, try some alternative transportation. Besides walking and biking, there’s skateboarding, roller blades and even those little razor scooters you see everywhere. Don’t think of them as a slower commute that wastes you time. Think of them as a time saver that lets you get to work while you exercise and saves you money as a bonus.
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