It's the time of year again. We remember those New Year's resolutions. Oh Yea - it'll be time to wear bathing suits again. Everyone is trying to fit the trip to the gym into the schedule as well as the budget.
When will I have time to go to the gym? Where is the money going to come from for the gym?
Well neither happens for me right now. I fit exercise in all through out my day. Just Do It!! It's so easy.
Just like my business, IT'S ALL ABOUT POSTURE. Like those mothers say - Just Suck It Up. Just keeping good posture will improve your overall fitness level. After 3 children, I had to learn to isolate and control all those vitally important core or powerhouse muscles. This can be really hard to do. The place to start is the posture. Previously, I recommended that you get a professional to assess your posture. DO THIS!
Now I do work at home. So I move all day long. I will walk while I'm talking on the phone whether I'm giving a presentation or a training call.
Any time I'm in a chair, I'll do leg lifts, or ankle exercises. In waiting rooms, doesn't matter whose if you are gonna keep me sitting waiting to se you then I'm going to be doing any exercise I can do in a seated position. Doctor's offices, car shops, school meetings, scout meetings - you name it I'm there and exercising too.
Every time I'm in the car, I practice pulling my belly button into the seat back (Posture what else lol). I make games to see how long I can hold my stomach muscles tight. Whether it's while I'm typing this blog or sitting through a stoplight, in a drive thru I'm working on my fitness. Here's the deal when it comes to those baby stretched stomach muscles - YOU HAVE TO SHORTEN THEM - they way you do that is by tightening them. The more you do it and the longer you hold the muscle contraction, the muscles start forming muscle memory. You know you are getting there when you pull up to that stop light and your muscles start contracting before your brain really tells them to. One of the first times that this effect really impacted on my brain was 3-4 months after I started trail riding with my children. I was doing a walk at home program at the same time, that was really focused on strengthening the abs. We were on a trail more difficult than I was use too and was unfamiliar with when we had a small culvert we had to cross and before my brain registered that I needed to tighten up for the jump my body was already doing it. Muscle memory just like mental memory has to be developed and its takes practice.
With regained muscle control, I work my abs with mini crunches and the TA muscle with pelvic tilts in the car as well as the all important kegels. I do crunches, seated twists all the standard ab work that most all of us dread. As I have restructured my posture, I've found I don't dread these so much. They are easier to do and I no longer have back & neck pain when I do them. It's all about the posture - physical and mental.
Now if you are like me and had baby belly weight to go with those slack muscles. You need to understand that this is not going to cause the pounds to fall away as you breathe. Good old fashion cardio does that part of the equation. WALK WALK WALK.
I'll do arm work even if its with pretend weights (isometrics) while I'm on the phone, in the car and while walking. I make an interesting picture doing my laps on the track at the middle school. I bebop to my mp3. I hop, skip jump,walk backwards just everything I can do.
When I'm cleaning house or any tasks that require me to walk from one place to another, I'll stop half way and throw in a few squats or take 30 seconds and do a stretch. So STOP on the way to the washer and do 5-10 squats.
You're at home, who cares if you crab walk to the kitchen for an Access boost. Are my children gonna laugh at me probably but who cares- laughing is good exercise too. I'm setting a fitness example for them too.
DANCE anytime you can even if its just a quick step to elevator music. I dance on the track too.
Anytime, Anywhere You Can Move! If you are moving you are improving your fitness. There are limitless exercises you can do quickly. You do not have to have a dedicated 30 minutes to an hour plus travel time to the gym and money for the gym to incorporate good daily exercise into your already hectic schedule.
One of the most popular methods today for losing fat and training/growing muscles is the BLAST. You are going to surprise your muscles by asking the unexpected. You are walking along at your normal pace and suddenly pick up the pace, push it for a few minutes and then go back to the regular pace - this is the blast. You will burn more calories and build more responsive muscles quicker. This is some of the principle behind including exercise as part of your whole day. You are going through the day and suddenly skip through the house instead of walking. You have surprised your muscles and forced them to work unexpectedly and they will rise to the challenge and get stronger because of it.
Even if it's only a minute at a time, you can work a lot of exercise into your day. JUST DO IT!
Till next week
Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise.
