Waiting to be Fit

We've all been told for years: “Working out at least 30-40 minutes per day is the best way to achieve physical fitness/ weight loss goals/ overall health.” The benefits of a half-hour or more of exercise per day are touted in books, magazines, and websites everywhere. The problem is, most of the people writing these reports haven't seen our schedules. For most people today, it's actually really hard to schedule a solid block of time for a workout. This is why so many end up in the cycle of “start a program, get busy, fall off the wagon, do nothing for a while, get gung-ho about another program. ...” We get so distracted by the idea of a number of minutes in a block that we forget that all activity helps us to get closer to our goals.

Everything you do in the course of a day that gets your body moving is exercise. Everything above and beyond what you normally do is going to get you closer to your fitness and weight loss goals. It's that simple. If you're working in ways to burn more calories than you take in, you'll lose weight. If you're working in ways to lift more, do more challenging reps, or do more reps, you'll get stronger. This means one very simple but very important thing for you; you don't have to block off a solid chunk of time if you just work fitness activities into your daily routine. If you're too busy one day to fit in a whole workout, or you're just too overwhelmed by the idea of fitting in so much time at once, you can start out by adding a few minutes here and there.

One of the easiest ways to start this is to add fitness to all the times you find yourself waiting. If you really pay attention to it, the average person spends a lot of time waiting. We wait for appointments, wait for elevators, wait for our spouses or kids, and even wait for the commercials to end. These are the perfect golden moments to start incorporating a bit of fitness into your routine, or to get in lost minutes on a day when you can't schedule a whole class or program. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• If you're waiting for your spouse or kids to get done with an appointment or lesson, take a quick walk or light jog around the block. All those steps add up.
• If you're waiting to get in for your own appointment, check with the receptionist to see how long your wait time is expected to be and do a quick lap or two around the building while you wait.
• While your children play soccer, walk around the field.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator more often.
• If you need to take an elevator, try doing some abdominal tucks, calf raises, or other discreet isometric moves while you wait for it to arrive on your floor.
• During commercials, try jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, or planking (the yoga move, not the internet sensation). There are tons of “commercial break workouts” available online that pack great moves into a couple of minutes at a shot.
• Whenever your phone rings, take the opportunity to do some stretches.
• Use coffee or lunch breaks to add a 5-10 minute workout to your day: a quick walk, a HIIT workout, some yoga stretches. … It all adds up over the course of a day.

Once you start to look for opportunities, you'll see that there's tons of little spots to add a bit of activity into your day. Another great way to achieve your goals is to have the right supplements and support. Get in touch with Lora at LorasLifestyle.com, (701)-452-0116, or in person at Lora's Boutique and Wellness, 16 N Centennial St. in Wishek. She can help you figure out the best combination of supplements and activities to achieve your goals.

Do you already look for ways to add activities to your day? Share your suggestions in the comments. We'd love to hear them!