Commit to Physical Activity

As a wellness coach, one of the most common excuses I hear from people about why they can’t: lose weight, lower their cholesterol, be more flexible, or be more active is, “I don’t have time!”.

This excuse, and “yes” it is an excuse, generally comes immediately after this person has given me a detailed rundown of the 6 episodes of “Yellowstone” they watched over the weekend or spent 20 minutes griping about how everyone on Facebook is saying this, that, or the other thing.

Here is the bad news, if you have time to spend hours sitting in front of the TV or scrolling through social media, you have TIME to exercise! The fact of the matter is you don’t WANT to exercise, so you make up an excuse that you are soooooo……..busy with soooooo…..many important things that you simply cannot squeeze 30-40 minutes of fitness into your day.

Sure, we all have days where work, family, and social obligations take up the majority of our day, but for most of us that is the exception, not the rule.

Now, here is the great news, you don’t have to block off 45-60 minutes 4-5 days a week to go to the gym to get some of the benefits of exercise. By simply being active throughout your day you can help improve cognitive function, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension and stress. Even doing 3-4 minutes of physical activity every hour can yield benefits.

Let’s say you are awake for 16 hours each day, if you were physically active for 3 minutes every hour, by the end of the day you would have done almost 50 minutes of physical activity! That’s over 5 hours every week! I guarantee you can find a least 3 minutes every hour to do a little something.

This week commit to doing at least 3 minutes of physical activity every hour you are awake!

So, what can you do?

• Sit down and stand up from a chair, repeatedly for 3 minutes (or do body weight squats)
• Take 5 minutes and walk up and down a flight of stairs
• March in place for 1 minute, do jumping jacks for 1 minute, do butt kicks for 1 minute
• Step side to side while pushing your arms overhead for 2 minutes and heel taps with arm circles for 2 minutes
• Take 3 minutes to walk around your house picking up and decluttering
• Or any activity that gets your heart pumping and your blood moving

More is better here so if you can do 5-10 minutes during some hours all the better!

If you have a goal to lose weight or improve your health, you may still need to hit the gym 3-4 days a week for some purposeful workouts in order to reach your goals. But, just think how much easier it will be to hit your goals if you add 30 minutes of activity the other 3 days. Even if you are a total gym rat, extra physical activity during the day can provide a much needed mental and physical break from a sedentary work environment.

So banish your, “I don’t have time”, excuse and get moving! It only takes a few minutes every hour and your mind and body will thank you!

Recommit to Building Healthy Habits

Back in March when COVID cases started to rise and communities started shutting down restaurants, gyms, nonessential businesses, and more and more people started working from home a lot of people made a commitment to start taking better care of their health. Internet searches for at home exercise routines and healthy meal recipes soared. There wasn’t a dumbbell, physioball, jump rope, or exercise band to be had anywhere.

In my own neighborhood, I started seeing neighbors I hadn’t seen in months out for a run, walking their dog, or doing squats in their driveway.

But now it’s September and my neighborhood is again a quiet little hamlet. No more family bike rides, no more sidewalk yoga, and no more strolling puppies. Everyone it seems is settling back into their routines.

Restaurants are open, people are eating out again, fitness equipment is back in stock, and the number of online workout classes is starting to dwindle.

Folks commitment to better health is slowly going by the wayside. As we edge slowly closer to our lives returning to “normal”, we are falling back into old routines where physical activity and good nutrition are no longer on our, “to do” lists.

So, what about you:

• Are you sticking to an exercise routine, either at home or in the gym?
• Do you find yourself eating out more often, maybe grabbing a quick burger and fries rather than making a healthy dinner?
• Have you stopped having your groceries delivered and started doing your own shopping only to find yourself making impulse purchases like the newest flavor of potato chip or those M&Ms that were on sale?

If you have found yourself sliding backward into old habits, NOW is the time to recommit to those healthy habits you pickup earlier in the year.

You may need to get creative if your schedule is less open and flexible than months past, but with a little thought and planning you can keep those good habits going.

This week pick 1 of your healthy habits and commit to focusing on building and reinforcing that habit to the best of your ability each day.

Don’t let your old normal ruin the progress you made during your “new normal”.

Good luck, have fun, and have a happy healthy week!

Holiday, Do It Anywhere Workout

The holiday season can frequently lead to a hectic schedule. Between social engagements, shopping, wrapping, baking, and traveling, finding time to go to the gym can be a challenge. Many of my clients say they simply don’t have the time to workout.

I can completely understand how life can get in the way of workouts. It happens to all of us. But, a busy schedule does not mean you have to ditch your fitness goals.

Just because you don’t have time go to the gym and do an hour workout doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. Whether you get up a few minutes early, give up a working lunch for a workout lunch, or exercise while watching TV, you can find 15-20 minutes in your day to get a little bit of exercise.

I have several short workouts I can do at home whenever life gets in the way of gym time. Below is one of my favorites:

This workout is designed to be fast and effective, it can be done just about anywhere and doesn’t require equipment. If you have light dumbbells or resistance bands, you can use them to amp up the workout.

Remember, just because you don’t have time for the gym doesn’t mean you have to miss your workouts.

Keep Your Exercise Momentum Going

A few weeks ago, I shared a tool I like to use called an adherence chart (Be Accountable to Exercise).

The adherence chart in that post challenged you to get 3-4 hours of purposeful exercise a week. Click here to learn about purposeful exercise.

This week I would like to encourage you to stretch your boundaries and increase your weekly workout sessions to 5-7 hours per week.

Here is your new adherence chart:

purposeful-exercise-adherence-chart-2.pdf

Good luck and have fun!

Exercise to Achieve Your Health Goals

If you truly want to lose body fat and get healthier then you MUST, MUST, MUST engage in some form of purposeful exercise 5-7 hours every week!

What is purposeful exercise?

Purposeful exercise is any form of exercise/activity that elevates your heart rate and makes you sweat (at least a little).

Examples of purposeful exercise include:

• Jogging or running
• Brisk walking
• Lifting weights
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Taking a dance class
• Cycling, indoors or out

Find an activity (or 3) that you enjoy that gets your heart pumping and commit to spend 45 minutes to an hour every day to purposeful exercises. Keep in mind, you don’t need to do all your exercise at once, you may lift some weights in the morning and then swim laps after work or take a morning spin class and go dancing with your partner at night.

We all work hard and taking a break during your day to have fun and exercise is a great way to control stress and recharge.

So, lace up your sneakers and get moving!

Until next time, have a happy healthy day!

Get Moving

A few weeks ago I encouraged you to get 15 minutes of physical activity everyday .

This week I am asking you to up the ante by increasing your daily physical activity to at least 20 minutes each day.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. If you can’t carve out 20 minutes at once, aim for doing 5 minutes 4x through out your day.

This article from MyFitnessPal has some terrific ideas about how to increase your physical activity by walking, 50 Ways to Walk More. Give it a read and a try! You’ll be glad you did!

Until next time, have fun, get moving, and have a happy healthy day!

Don’t Let the Hectic Holidays Get in the Way of Your Fitness Goals

As we enter the holiday season, it can be difficult to stay on track with your workouts. Shopping, holiday parties, and travel can all get in the way of your normal fitness routine.

This season make a commitment to maintaining the health and fitness progress you have made. Make it a goal to do some form of exercise at least 4 days per week. Remember, you don’t need the gym to stay in shape and you don’t need to spend hours training.

This article from Precision Nutrition details a terrific whole body workout that can be done in as little as 10 minutes at home (or on the road) with minimal equipment:

how-to-stay-in-shape-when-you_re-busy-infographic-tablet.pdf

The big key through the holidays is to keep moving. You don’t have to be perfect just do a little each day!

Until next time, have a happy, healthy day!

It’s Not Too Late to Reach Your Health and Fitness Goals in 2018

Is it safe to say you could have put a bit more time into your diet and exercise in 2018? (and maybe a year or two before that as well)

Question: Are you ready to take the first step towards getting things under control?

Terrific! Because it is not too late to start working toward the health and fitness goals you set for 2018.

There is a program that has a proven track record with over 45,000 people AND nearly 1 million pounds of body fat lost!

As a certified nutritional coach and personal trainer and as part of the most successful weight management program in the world, I can help you on your personal health and fitness journey and increase your chances of FINALLY becoming the healthiest you possible.

This approach is so thorough, there are too many details to list here. Contact me at the email address listed below to set up your complimentary 15 minute consultation.

Full disclosure, this program may NOT be for everyone and you ARE going to have to put some work in!

So, if you are ready to lose body fat, have more energy, and learn to live a healthier lifestyle, take the first step, email me today and get started on the path to success!

Email me today at achievewellness@ymail.com.

And LIKE us on Facebook (its a great place to find free tips and recipes)!

Tuesday Tip of the Week – Have a Gym-Free Workout Plan

We all have days when we do not have the time or motivation to go to the gym, however that is NO excuse for skipping a workout.

Having a set of gym-free workouts on hand can ensure you beat the gym time blahs.  Whether it’s a body weight workout on YouTube, an outdoor boot camp, a kickbutt Spin class, or a restorative yoga class, having a few backup ideas can keep you on track with your fitness goals regardless of time or motivation restrictions AND keep fitness fun and stress free.