Fitness For Busy Professionals
By Helen Troncoso
RENEW. REFOCUS. REINVENT.
Let’s face it, not everyone has a few hours everyday to spend at the gym. To top it off, our obesity epidemic continues to rise despite the increasing number of gyms available each year. Lucky for you, fitness doesn’t only happen at the gym. Here are three tips to get healthy and fit for even the busiest professional. Thirty Minutes To A New You Anytime you can do less work, and still get great results is a deal in my book. A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that thirty minutes of daily exercise is just as effective for losing weight as sixty minutes. Get in there, and get it done! If you can read a magazine, text or play on Facebook while exercising, all you’re doing is wasting your precious time. Look for exercise plans that combine interval training, strength training, core exercises and stretching. Don’t forget to mix it up so you’re body doesn’t get used to a particular routine. If you’re strength training, change your routine every two weeks. Like to run? Add in some crosstraining and circuits to see a boost in your running time and performance. The best thing you can do is to be consistent, and emphasize quality over quantity.
Schedule your success
In a perfect world we would have all the time in the day to exercise. Then reality hits and you need to get the kids out the door, and fix yourself so you’re not doing your makeup while driving, once again. Schedule the time to workout. Lay out your clothes the night before. As a matter of fact, sleep in your gym clothes if it will help strike one more excuse why you can’t workout. You don’t need to plan a routine that’s overly complicated, but you also don’t want to “wing it” either. Go for something in-between. Write out short term and long-term goals so you know if you’re progressing or not. Use technology to help keep you on track and in shape. Apps like MyFitnessPal, GymPact, Nexercise and Nike Training Club are just some of the great tools you can use to save time and automate your schedule..
Never neglect nutrition
Here’s the thing, you can never, ever out train a bad diet. Eating well is often the difference between success and failure. Especially if you have one of those super busy days where you absolutely can’t do a quick workout. Think about it, this is the only body you’re going to have, so why not treat it well? Feed it food that will help you power through any boardroom meeting, and especially while you’re catching up on those late night e-mail. A general rule of thumb is to skip the nonfat, low fat, too many ingredients you can’t even pronounce trap. Feed your body real food. Planning and prepping meals for you and your entire family is healthier, will save you money and give you more time to spend on yourself. If you don’t take care of your health, it will eventually catch up to you and you won’t be around to take care of that family you sacrifice so much for. Change your perspective on exercise, and find inspiration and motivation from everything around you. It will help to keep you on track especially when your mind is screaming at you all the reasons why you can’t do this. Matter of fact, stop thinking about all the things you can’t do, and make a true commitment to living a healthier and happier life today. Disclaimer: Always consult with your medical doctor before starting any rigorous workout, especially if you have a preexisting condition. Start off slow and build from there to help avoid burnout and injury.
Source:
- Rosenkilde, P. L. Auerbach, M. H. Reichkendler, T. Ploug, B. M. Stallknecht, A. Sjodin. Body fat loss and compensatory mechanisms in response to different doses of aerobic exercise – a randomized controlled trial in overweight sedentary males. AJP: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2012
Dr. Helen Troncoso is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, health expert and founder of Reinventing You, LLC where she helps busy people get healthy and fit. For more health and wellness tips, visit her website at: www.helentroncoso.com