Getting More Activity Into Your Day

I've been talking to a lot of people lately that feel overwhelmed when they think of exercising because they are trying to find a way to get to the gym for an hour when they already have a full day.

Please, please don't get overwhelmed by the thought of exercising.  Here are a few ways to bring more physical activity into your day.  These are really doable and you can build on this but get started today!!  You will glad you did!

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. When you go somewhere, park at the far end of the parking lot.  
3. Look for even 10 minute periods during the day to do some physical activity.
4. Bring lunch to work and use part of your lunch hour to go for a brisk walk.
5. Do 10 squats every time the phone rings.
6. Get friends or family to exercise with you.  If you have kids, play a game of tag.  Your kids will love your attention and everyone benefits from the exercise.

When I used to work in an office building, I would go into my office and close the door and do some push ups, sit ups, squats, sumo squats, jumping jacks, and finish with the plank.  I would do that a few times a day plus whenever I started to feel stressed and it really helped.  I do need to warn you that it can be awkward with some skirts!  I also advise removing suit coats and high heels before beginning.  If you don't have an office and you don't have someone with an office that you can use, you can start a trend and see if you can get others to join you.   Have fun and be active.  It's good for your health on every level!

Find an Exercise Partner

It's always more fun to do things with our friends.  Exercise is no exception.  Find a friend (old or new) who also wants to be more active and set a plan for what you'll do together.  It can be as simple as going for a walk every day after the kids go off to school.

Working out with a friend is more enjoyable and holds you accountable so you don't miss your workout.

Here are a few tips:

1. Find someone who really wants to do this.  You both want to motivate each other rather than talk each other out of exercising while having coffee and donuts instead.
2. If you plan to go walking in the neighborhood, have a plan for rainy days or days that the weather keeps you inside.  The right workout video can make all the difference in the world.  Make sure you pick on that resonates with you or you won't do it.  
3. Make sure you both have similar exercise goals and objectives.  If one of you is a couch potato and the other is already an avid exerciser, this may not make for a great partnership.
4. Mix it up a little.  Add weight training or yoga once a week.
5. Make sure you both have a common time that will work every day so that scheduling doesn't become more work than the exercise. (One tip is that if your kids are on the same sports team, you can exercise together while they practice. That won't get you five days/week but it's a start.)  
6. If you are married or in a relationship, recruit them as a partner.
7. Go to some exercise classes at your local Y or any gym.
8. It's okay to have more than one exercise buddy - in fact, it is better.  If you are all friends and want to workout together, that can be great, too!!

Remember if you are really not enjoying getting active and exercising, you are not likely to keep it up.  Make it fun for you!!  Make it social!!  Make it happen!!

You can do it!!  Start today!

Simple Steps To Become Fit

Have you noticed how some people are just fit?  How is that?  Well... to be truly fit doesn't "just happen."  If you want to be fit, you will need to work on that.  However, it doesn't have to be "work".  We'll talk later about ways to make fitness fun.  It is easier to create new healthy habits that last when we get enjoyment from them.

1. Decide what you want in terms of your fitness

Often we don't get what we want because we haven't clearly determined what it is that we want.   That applies to all areas of our lives not just fitness. But if you say, "I want to be fit."  Well, was does that mean to you?  To some people it may simply be a number on a scale.  To some people it may mean being able to keep up with their kids running in the back yard.  Others may want to run a marathon.  What does being fit mean to you?

You may think, well I know what being fit means.  That's great, you are a step ahead of many of us.  I still want you to be as specific as you can in terms of how you would measure that fitness.

If you are one of those who see fitness as a number on a scale, I do want to ask you to rethink that as the sole criteria.  Our weight is important but is only one factor.  Being a health and wellness coach, I immediately think of heart health when I think of fitness (also as just one factor) but we've really got to exercise that heart muscle for fitness.

Also, just because you don't want to be a body builder or look like one, that doesn't mean that weight training is not important.  Building lean muscle mass is important for health and well-being at every age.  It also doesn't have to come from going to a gym and lifting weights.  There are many exercises that use your own body weight for strength training.


2. Write down your definition of fitness

Now that you've clarified it in your head, write it down. This helps to set your intention to achieve that level of fitness.

3. Create goals around your definition of fitness

All goals need to be SMART goals.

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time driven



Here's an example of a well-written goal.  "I will run and complete a marathon by May 31, 2013 at 5 pm."

It is specific - running a marathon.  It is measurable. It does say by when this will be completed.  But now is it attainable and realistic?  Are there any marathons happening at a location you can be at this month?  Are you ready to run a marathon?  If you are currently 100 pounds overweight and completely sedentary, you do not want to set a goal to run a marathon this month.  You can absolutely set that as a goal but you want to be realistic in all aspects of the goal including time frame.

I always have long-term goals in all areas of my life but I find it very useful to have short term goals that when I achieve I move closer to the long-term goal and I have that feeling of accomplishment more often than if I have wait 5 years.

4.  Start imagining yourself as that fit person you want to be

How do you feel?  What do you look like?  What kind of external feedback to you receive?  Feel it.  Enjoy it.  Know that this is you!

Some people think of this visualization exercise as silly but it is much more powerful that people realize.  Professional athletes use this all the time.


5. Make your fitness (and your health) a priority

When you opt not to do some form of exercise (gardening, running, jumping jacks, cleaning, dancing), what are you doing instead?  What are you making a priority?  Is that newest reality TV show really more important than your fitness.  There are plenty of TV commercial based exercises that I'll share, too.

6. Take action

I know for years I have said that health and fitness were my priorities but never took action on it.  In fact, I have studied health and fitness unofficially and officially for over thirty years.  The reality, however, is that it has only been in the last few years that I have started applying all the knowledge I built up in that time :)  I'm not yet at the fitness level I would like to be but I'm on my way.

7. Celebrate your actions

It is so important to celebrate or at the very least acknowledge our achievements.  We often focus on what we didn't accomplish instead of what we did.  So if you want to workout 5 days this week but only did 3, congratulate yourself for doing 3!  Next week you can work toward the goal of 5.

8. Reward yourself

This goes along with the celebrating your successes but we feel good when we are rewarded.  As such, we are more likely to keep going in that right direction.  I do not recommend rewarding yourself with food but occasionally a nice, healthy meal can be the reward.  If one of your goals is to become thinner and you've achieved that, I find it more fun to go out an get some new clothes that are smaller and reinforce my success!