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5 Ways to Stay Active At Work (Without Getting Fired)
Weekend warrior-ism isn’t going to save us. In fact, a daily workout isn’t even enough. If you’re spending spending most of your day sitting at your desk, experts say you’re in the health-risk zone. But, as we all know, fitness advice sometimes falls short of reality. Constantly jumping up to walk to coworkers’ offices in the middle of a project, rather than calling or emailing, might not be feasible. And taking a midday exercise break can render you tired and distracted back at the office. So how are we supposed to prevent work from killing our health, and our health from killing our productivity at work? I wrote in my last post that, for me, the biggest obstacle is that … Continue reading
The Dirty, Sweaty Reality of Midday Exercise
And now, for the moment of truth: sometimes you can master motivation, flawlessly fuel your workout, and have your gym and snack bags packed—and still not be able to fit exercise into your daily routine. Not midday, anyway. I’m an afternoon exerciser, because it’s my best time of day to exercise. But even if you work out in the morning or after work, research says that everyone should be taking a midday pause to get some daily excersise. Sitting for 8 hours is great way to die early, no matter how active you are the rest of the day. So, dutifully, I aim to work out in the afternoon. Only my “midday pause” typically turns into a three-hour affair. First, … Continue reading
Are You A Fitness Influencer? 4 Ways to Help Others Be Healthy
How do you get your loved ones to care about being healthy? You’ve tried discussing the health benefits. You’ve tried scaring them with the facts. You gave up dessert hoping they’d join you, and you lavished them with praise when they dusted off their bike. You gently explained that you were worried. Then you bitterly announced they looked 9 months pregnant. And after all this… it seems you’ve had no influence whatsoever. Mom’s still carting around large McFrappés. Your spouse insists that trekking up and down the stairs is plenty of exercise. And your kids, you suspect, are squandering their lunch money on Cheetos and Mountain Dew. Trying to influence healthy habits can seem like walking across a minefield. You … Continue reading
Spring Clean Your Fitness Regimen
It’s the season for overhauls and new (for real this time) beginnings! If you’re on a roll, why not freshen up your fitness regimen too? Chances are you’ll find a few things it’s time to dust off, simplify or dunk in the trash. Ready? De-junk A feng shui principle I’ve always loved is that you have to clear out old things or new things won’t come. Clutter blocks progress. It sends a message – to the universe, to your subconscious – that you aren't open to change. Further, it physically prevents fresh additions, because there’s simply no room. So even if you liked the old thing, it might be worth saying "so long" to, if it could be replaced by something … Continue reading
Why ‘Living in the Now’ Isn’t Always the Best Option
All that about how we need to “live in the moment”? Sometimes, frankly, the moment is overrated. Like when it comes to saving for retirement, avoiding debt, getting our work done and taking care of our health. In reality, we’re enamored with the now. And our future selves are suffering because of it. Behavior economists have observed the underlying cause of our now-ism: we have a natural psychological tendency to overvalue present experiences and undervalue future experiences. We think a pleasure today will be more enjoyable than the same pleasure tomorrow. And, conversely, we think something bad will be a little easier to swallow tomorrow. We even value our current experience so much that we’ll sacrifice a big reward down … Continue reading
Will You Adapt or Self Destruct?
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin Increasingly, I’m in awe of the amazing ability we have to triumph over change and challenging circumstances. Some people blame circumstance for their failure. Others cling to old, outdated paradigms until they kill themselves off. But most people don’t. Most people know, innately, that if they want to continue to enjoy their families and passions, and to feel their best for as long as possible, they have to adapt. In the mornings I teach English at a senior center to immigrants from Russia and China. In their 60s and 70s, … Continue reading
Should You Love Your Workouts?
Today I started reading “Poke the Box.” It’s a manifesto by Seth Godin about doing something new and scary, instead of taking a nap. Godin is warning us about getting too comfortable with routine, and also how quick we are to use the “escape hatch” when we do try something new and it ends up being uncomfortable. He says we’ll never reach our potential if we avoid failure. I realized that for the last several months, I’ve been “poking the box” with regard to exercise. It has not been comfortable. It hasn’t really been intentional, either. I don’t know what inspired me to take up tennis and running, two activities I’ve never been interested in. In fact, running? I hate … Continue reading
Habit Zeroes and Why Teaching Kids to Eat Healthy is So Difficult
My uncle used to have a wooden spoon called “Mr. Smack.” My cousins got spanked with it when they were bad, and the rest of the time it scowled down at them from atop the fridge, a menacing warning. I was always surprised at how little it affected their behavior. A new exhibit at Disney’s Epcot Center sought a more positive approach to changing kids’ behavior: teaching by fun and example. The “Habit Heroes” exhibit was launched to help address the alarming weight gain among youngsters in the U.S. Michelle Obama says nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese. Earlier this week, Randy wrote a candid post about the challenges of getting kids healthier and more … Continue reading
Focusing Like An Athlete
When professional tennis star Maria Sharapova needs to save a match, she gets into her “zone.” “I take it one point at a time and really focus,” she says. Penning an hour-long workout into your planner can seem laughable when you have a business to run, a house to clean, a family to organize. And if you exercised only once in the last two weeks, or you’re behind in your training for an athletic event, it might seem pointless to even lace up your trainers today. Before you dismiss your exercise goal as a pipedream, try Sharapova’s technique for turning a game around. Take your eye off your losing score, and fix it on the ball flying at you. Successful … Continue reading
Why Vacations Are Good For Your Fitness
Leap Year Day has me thinking about how powerful it can be to step outside the box, even for just a day. Suddenly people start thinking about the “possible.” We had an extra day, February 29. What could we do with it? My colleagues threw parties or went out to dinner with friends even though it was a weekday. In Ireland, Leap Year Day used to be the one day every 4 years that it was acceptable for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Sure, there are really 365.24 days in every year, but Leap Year Day feels like a free day. It’s exempt from the rules. I’ve had a few fitness experiences that got me thinking about … Continue reading
