Fitting In Fitness: We All Start Somewhere

 Hello peeps! Welcome to my first blog on my brand new website. I took a little bit of a breather from posting content while I made this switch. Bare with me while I work out the kinks. Progress, not perfection. You get the gist. Anyway, I realized that I have YET to really make a fitness post, which is kind of baffling to me. You see, fitness and/or activity is a huge part of my self-care routine, my anxiety-mediating efforts, and well…my life, in general. And for good reason. Putting aside the obvious weight management benefits, regular physical activity helps to prevent and/or manage scary diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Regular physical activity is an incredible mood booster, aiding in the fight against mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety. I mean, the list goes on and on. I think you get it. But if you don’t, here’s a great, easy to read article from the Mayo Clinic here that will give you a little more insight.

   Now that we have that understanding, the question becomes: how do you fit fitness into your life? Trust me. It ain’t always easy. I have definitely gone through periods where the gym just wasn’t at the top of my list. And I actually enjoy the gym. I enjoy having the energy of other people working out around me..but there are times when it’s just plain not my biggest priority. What IS a priority to me is to get some activity in…I feel better. I function better. It’s an essential part of setting me up for daily success. And it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, you can check out my How to Get Back on Track blog post for tips on how to get back on track and set #goals. 

 So, my challenge to you friends, is to make a commitment NOW to one, if not all, of these five tips for increasing your physical activity. Remember, progress not perfection. 

FIVE EASY, ACTIONABLE TIPS TO  START FITTING IN FITNESS 

1. “Wake up, Warm up, Clap your hands:” Ah, the old pre-school sing-a-long song has made it’s return. Moving first thing in the morning has a variety of benefits, both mental and physical. Plus, it’s pretty dang likely that your schedule (and motivation level) will change as the day goes on, opening you  up to the “plans changed”  or “I’m too tired” excuse. Now, I’m not saying go out and run a marathon or engage in a heavy lifting session, specifically if you’re a beginner. Try out one of the following:
   1. Run or Walk Outside: Head outside and take a 30 minute walk or jog outside. Amp yourself up by plugging in those headphones and listening to some music to get you going. Or maybe you want to take the time to just take in the sounds and sights around you. Whatever gets you going.
   2. Bust a Move Inside: Maybe the outdoors just isn’t your thing. That’s cool. The internet is an amazing thing: there are so many options from dance cardio, to mini-toning workouts, to indoor walking routines that you can watch. For FREE! A really good indoor walking program especially for beginners is the Leslie Sansone Walk-At-Home Workouts. You can buy the program, but you can also find a few of her workouts on Youtube for free! 
2. Lunch Break: I know, I know. You want to take your lunch break to actually eat lunch. Or maybe you’re concerned because you don’t have a lunch break. But sitting for 8+ hours a day is kiiiinda not good for you. So take a 20-30 minute break at some point during your day and move. Take a walk outside, go to a local store or mall and window shop. Just do something during the day that takes you away from your computer for a solid 20 minutes (at least). Added Bonus: You’ll feel refreshed when you get back to the office and ready to conquer the second half of your day like a boss.
3. Use your phone to track your steps: While there may be a bit of inaccuracy with these devices, having a way to track your activity will help you get an idea of how much you typically move throughout the day. Once you know, you can continue to set goals for yourself each day. Why is this helpful? Because sometimes we can’t set aside a lengthy amount of time to workout. Knowing where you steps are at and where you’d like them to be will prompt you to add little bits of physical activity in throughout the day. Don’t want to use or phone or want something that’s on you ALL the time. I like the Garmin VivoFit activity tracker
4. Phone-A-Friend: Find a walking buddy or schedule a catch-up session with your spouse, kids, next door neighbor, bus driver…whatever. Instead of having a coffee or tea date…make it a walking date! Instead of sitting around and watching TV after dinner, go for a walk around the block with the family. Weather bad? Put on some music that you all like and have a little weeknight DP (dance party). I know that sounds cray cray..but hey, the crazy makes it fun 🙂
5. Set a phone alarm: Set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour. Make it a point to go for a walk around your office or to the bathroom or outside for a minute. Just get up and move. Again…little bits of exercise add up! Just check your activity tracker!

These little things can make a MAJOR difference, especially if you’re just starting out in the fitness realm. As you get used to moving more, be open to adding other exercise activities into your routine. Be on the look out for my future post on Starting or ReStarting a workout program 🙂 Until next time

~Christina