What’s In It For Me?

Where to begin?

This is a question that was posed to me by a fellow blogger, in regards to getting back on track, becoming more active, losing holiday weight gain and where to begin.

Most of us already know “What’s in it for me”? The payout is immense! Better mood, improved sleep, ability to fight off colds and disease, longer life, the list is long.

So now lets look at where to begin . Do you open a savings account with all the money you want to have in it, or do you put in a little at a time? I know for me, it takes time. Money and health can be looked at the same way. They share an investment approach. Hear me out, I’m not preaching about how to get rich, unless you want to take stock in your health and fitness.

“I don’t have enough time”, is often heard.  Schedule that time for yourself. Start with one minute in the morning and one minute in the afternoon. Not so bad, right? Now double that on day two. Seriously, you have two minutes. Is it necessary to lean on the sink while you brush your teeth? That’s right, step in place while brushing. “But Bob, I gotta watch the traffic and weather before I go to work”. Awesome, I see about three more minutes of opportunity right there! Work your way up in time spent moving. Sometimes we struggle with the word exercise, so call it movement.

Do you find yourself spending a few minutes in the kitchen while the coffee is brewing or while you savor that first cup? Rest your hands on the counter edge,  put your feet back a little, and do some push ups against the counter. They do not have to be done lying down. Just make sure your feet are secure and not going to slide. Calf raises are an easy exercise as well. Up on your tip toes and back down.

Packing lunches or making breakfast? Grab that milk or juice jug and lift it a few times. Sound silly? Maybe to the person that doesn’t take the opportunity to try or utilize their time.  Save those rubber bands that are wrapped around packages or produce. Keep one at your desk, in your purse, in that catch all drawer and use it as a hand exerciser. Loop it around the ends of your fingers and spread them apart. This will increase your grip and tone up your forearms.

The key to all of this is beginning. Set an alarm or an appointment reminder, whatever it takes for you to reserve that time for yourself. By the way, it took you about 1 minute and 45 seconds to read this far. (wink)

Now to the nutrition part of this. Exercise, or movement, is only about 20% of the equation. We put on that holiday weight because of all the temptingly delicious offerings that are around every corner. Trust me, I know. I enjoy food too. Okay, so we enjoyed ourselves a little too much with all the extras that were so tempting. Get back on track. If you racked up debt from holiday spending, it’s time to start saving again. Same thing with the diet, or food intake if you will. Cut back on the sugars, carbs, gravies, sauces, (Yeah, I know..), and begin eating sensibly again. More vegetables, lean protein, fresh fruit, you know the drill, whole grains.

We bombard our bodies with these changes in poor diet choices, and in turn we spend more time sitting around chatting with friends and family. All we need to do is reverse this. More time moving and less time making unhealthy food choices. Just by moving more, you increase the metabolism needed to effectively burn the fuel you take in.

Do you need more motivation? Contact me at bob@guidancefitnesspt.com

The first step was taken when you chose to read this. Now get up and move 😉

In fitness, Bob