Finding Time for Fitness: 6 Ways to Fit It In

Lack of time is everyone’s main excuse for not working out, but do you really not have time for fitness? Sure, you’ve got a lot on your plate, but even just a few minutes of activity every day can help you reap major rewards for your overall wellbeing. In fact, if you’re fitter, you’ll have more energy to help you cope with all your daily tasks! So, how do you find the time to give your wellness a boost? We spoke to Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor Jennipher Walters for her top tips.

 

1. Get On Up: ‘Sleep is definitely important for overall health and weight-loss, but could you hit the sheets just 30 minutes earlier, so that you could get up and work out before your day starts?,’ asks Walters. ‘Working out in the morning has numerous benefits including regulating appetite, boosting energy and—perhaps the biggest benefit of all—an AM sweat session ensures that your workout is checked off first thing each day!’

 

2. Log Off…: Walters recommends, ‘For just a few days, record how much time you spend surfing the Internet, checking personal email, watching TV and playing video games whether it’s on your computer or your phone. You just might be surprised at how much time you spend on Facebook or playing Angry Birds. Just a few minutes here and there can add up to an hour or more each day. Cut out just some of that screen time and, voila, you suddenly have time to squeeze in at least 10 or 15 minutes of exercise into even the busiest day.’

 

3. …But Be an Active TV Watcher: ‘It’s unrealistic to never watch TV or to shun the Internet forever,’ Walters admits. ‘So when you do, try to incorporate some physical activity. When watching TV, make it a point to do some jumping jacks or push-ups during commercials. Doing a little exercise during the commercial breaks can add up to almost 20 minutes of fitness for every hour of TV you watch. And instead of sitting in a chair when on the computer, try sitting on a stability ball or stack your computer up on some books so that you have a standing desk to surf from. No matter how you do it, try not to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time!’

 

4. Workout On Your Commute: Walters asserts, ‘One of the best ways to fit exercise into your life is by incorporating it into your school or work transportation routine. If you live close enough, consider biking to work. If you take the bus, walk to a bus stop that’s an extra block or two away, or get off the bus a stop sooner than usual and get a few more steps in. And if you drive to work, park as far away as you can—even a few blocks away, if possible.’

 

5. Socialise While You Exercise: ‘Make your social time more active by planning events that get all of you moving,’ Walters advises. ‘Go for a family hike on a beautiful Saturday morning, play a game of tag football with your buddies during halftime, or make a date with your significant other or best friend on the treadmill. There are so many options for squeezing more activity into your social calendar!’

 

6. Make Chores More Hardcore: ‘While cleaning might not be the most fun activity, it’s something we all have to do, and it can definitely be a workout if you want it to be,’ notes Walters. ‘Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes and see how much of the house you can clean. Try to be as efficient and quick-paced as possible, and I guarantee you’ll work up a sweat. If you’re doing lighter housework that is harder to get your heart rate up (like laundry or organising), throw in some lunges or push-ups every few minutes to start feeling the burn.’

Categories: busy schedule, Commute, day nbsp, household chores, minutes, nbsp, Push ups, time, walters, watching tv, work

Six Foods You Need to Avoid If You’re Stressed at Work

You spend a large portion of your day at work, so it’s not hard to see how your corporate wellness impacts the rest of your wellbeing. Work stress feeds into the rest of your life, which, in turn, has a negative influence on your overall health. Therefore, we’re always trying to find ways to reduce workplace stress and, thanks to registered dietician/nutritionist Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, author of The Small Change Diet, we now have the answer: your food. According to Gans, what you eat may contribute to your stress load and, since diet is one of the things in life you have any control over, it’s a good place to start when dealing with workplace stress.

 

1. Avoid foods high in caffeine: The Stress Management Society states that while caffeine can be stimulating when you’re tired, foods and drinks with caffeine also contain the neurostimulator theo-bromine. Gans explains, ‘Both theo-bromine and caffeine have been proven to increase stress levels. Caffeine can also cause a loss in concentration, which can result in poor work output and thus more stress on the job. If you need coffee or tea in the morning for that boost, make sure you do so in moderation or you won’t be able to reduce work stress.’

 

2. Foods rich in sodium: ‘Sodium can cause the body to retain water, possibly leading to hypertension and an increase in stress,’ Gans warns. ‘Thankfully, sodium is fairly easy to monitor in a diet; make sure you read all product labels. Natural and whole foods will have less sodium than those in packages, but keeping hypertension at bay also means keeping up with an exercise routine.’

 

3. Junk foods: Not only do junk foods get in the way of your weight loss plans; they can also hinder your efforts to reduce work stress. Gans notes, ‘Snacking on potato chips, candy and baked goods may temporarily relieve hunger, but it rarely lasts any length of time. This can cause an energy crash later in the day and can lead to chronic hunger, which can make work that much more difficult to get through. What’s more, junk foods lack the vitamins and minerals the body needs to manage stress throughout the day.’

 

4. Fatty foods: There is research that indicates if you eat a fatty meal you will increase the negative effects of stress on your heart. ‘Most people don’t realize it, but starting the day out with a high-fat dairy product could be sabotaging that goal to reduce work stress,’ Gans cautions. ‘The more stressed the body feels, the less likely it is to perform well throughout the day, and as most of us now, poor performance is one way to drastically increase job stress.’

 

5. Alcohol: Gans advises, ‘Most jobs don’t allow drinking on-site, but if you go out for a business lunch steer clear of those alcoholic drinks. Alcohol stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol even though it may seem like it lowers your inhibitions. Also, drinking heavily at night can make you sluggish for work in the morning and make you less likely to pick up on important job facts throughout the day.’

 

6. Fizzy Drinks: If you steer clear of alcohol on business lunches, don’t replace your usual tipple with a glass of fizz! The Stress Management Society asserts that you should avoid fizzy drinks if you are feeling stressed at work. Gans comments, ‘When the body is under pressure, a build-up of carbon dioxide and lactates in the body can result in a condition called “acidosis”, which can harm health. The high levels of carbon dioxide in beverages aggravate that condition; therefore soft drinks need to be considered as an unnecessary addition to your diet.’

Categories: caffeine, day nbsp, junk foods, reduce work, sodium, steer clear, Stress, stress gans, stress management, stress nbsp, work stress, workplace stress