At the start of each year most gyms are full of people with impressive ambitions to exercise regularly in order to look and feel healthier than they do now, only to find that life gets in the way come February - March and their ambitions fizzle away until next year.
Maintaining the momentum over the course of the year will have obstacles that get in the way. Obstacles such as bad habits, occupation, stress, and partners are barriers to use as an excuse not to stick to your program.
Wouldn’t it better to maintain the motivation of a daily routine that has you being happier, healthier and more productive on a daily basis, rather than going from one extreme to another?
Below are my top 7 secrets to maintaining and enjoying exercise all year round, even when it is cold and dark outside.
1. Measure results – Choose your benchmark to which you wish to measure your progress towards that goal. If it is fat loss, then measure your waistline rather than looking at the scales. If it is to look leaner, then buy some scales that measure fat-loss percentage to see change in body composition. If it is getting fitter, then measure what you are capable of doing now (distance, time, intensity level).
2. Boost your metabolism - Regular exercise will build your lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism. The higher your metabolism...the more body-fat you burn and the easier it is to keep the weight off. A routine that includes as little as 30 minutes of strength training will elevate the metabolism for up to 48 hours after your workout.
3. Schedule your workout – Arrange your work-outs like you do your occupation. At the start of every week schedule your exercise at a time that will work. If you can exercise at the same time every day you will build a familiar routine and increase your likelihood of sticking to it.
4. Your Daily detox – Detox (short for detoxification) is our body’s natural ongoing process for elimination and neutralizing toxins from the body that can be potentially harmful to us. Every day we are surrounded by substances that will make our bodies sluggish like pollution, pesticides and chemicals in our food and water, coffee, cigarette smoke, alcohol, household cleaners, medications, and heavy metals like lead (which can enter our body when we ingest or inhale them). Exercise assists you to sweat them out to keep your body working efficiently so you feel healthier and energetic.
5. Increase your self esteem – Low self esteem stems from a poor self image. Regular work-outs will make you feel good about yourself and feel important to the community and other people. Everyone can benefit from a higher self esteem. Self esteem is crucial for a positive attitude towards living. If you have a higher self esteem you will be confident, happy and highly motivated to succeed.
6. Perk up your thinking power – There is an abundance of research that shows that exercise unlocks different areas of the brain to help you come up with fresh ideas to be more creative and problem solve as well as being more productive.
7. Just start - Difficult days are part of your program. Some days are going to be harder than others to get going. It is all too easy to stay in bed when it is cold and dark outside, so just put on an extra jumper and get out there and embrace your critics, do your best and don’t think.
Author Chris Bakens is head Performance Coach with Healthy Executives, a leading Brisbane corporate health company. They work with senior executives to implement healthy initiatives in the workplace. Her experience spans more than 2 decades in the fitness industry, working as a Personal Trainer, PT manager, Group exercise instructor and co-ordinator in some of Australia’s large gym chains. She also established a highly successful Personal Training studio in Brisbane and personally coaches Personal Training studios with strategies and tips to dramatically transform and master their trainers.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Creating the Building blocks for a healthy workplace
It has been well documented that a healthy workplace contributes to a healthier bottom line. With less sick days, improved productivity, greater performance and increased morale, providing a healthy place to work can make a substantial difference.
Transforming to a healthy culture requires active support from management in making workplace health a priority. This article will examine the elements of the current workplace and give you some simple steps of no cost and low cost options to making a start right now to some tangible benefits.
A Case for Action
What is happening now in the workplace?
• Australia annually loses billions in revenue due to sick days.
• Employees with multiple or chronic health concerns drive the biggest loss in productivity. Those concerns may include smoking, overweight or obesity, poor nutrition, not enough exercise, substance abuse, poor sleeping patterns, existing medical conditions etc.
• Poor health is impacting all levels of business including executives and non-managerial positions. Executives, management and supervisory positions suffer more presentee-ism productivity which is related to a lack of productivity due to poor health.
• Employees experience too little or too much responsibility and have unclear expectations in their roles.
• Poor communication.
• Lack of rewards and acknowledgment.
• Stress and mental health issues.
• Management attitudes and awareness.
The way the future could be with a healthier workplace:
• The culture of the workplace looks like a healthy environment by the way the employees act and the work is handled.
• Employees can’t tell you what the culture looks like but they can tell you how it feels.
• Employers, all levels of management, and employees are all part of the solution.
• Employers act as role models.
• Employee health is now part of the agenda at meetings
• Employers regularly share their health vision with employees in multiple types of communication.
• Management and supervisors are regularly trained on giving recognition and rewards.
• Employees are engaged in their work with less down-time.
• Employees are rewarded for taking action with healthy initiatives.
• Employees are acknowledged for work that is complete and not on the amount of hours to complete it. (Being busy versus getting the job done)
• Employers spend less money on training and developing new employees due to employee retention.
No cost and low cost actions steps you can take right now:
• Conduct meetings outside or on a walk, or take a 10 – 15 minute walk before or after the meeting.
• Allocate an employee to head up a wellness team and have them report back to management. This role can take as little as 2 hours per week.
• Use peer pressure wisely to gain interest in your wellness message. The message has to be something that is universal to most people (fat loss, how to make nutritious snacks, simple steps to handle stress etc) Leave time at the end for interaction. Use this as an opportunity to let them know the importance of healthy employees and the value it is to the organization.
• Train managers and supervisors to give rewards and recognition.
• Gain the professional expertise of a Personal Trainer to assist with a user-pays regular group exercise activity. These sessions can take place during or outside of work hours in a large inside space or nearby park. An opportunity to hear about the activity can be gained at an information meeting at a time that is convenient at work.
• Reinforce the health vision of your workplace with a regular newsletter that can be sent out to your internal database, an agenda at meetings, posted on the bulletin boards or distributed in the lunch-room.
• Provide a quarterly healthy living expo in the workplace where employees can gain valuable information, attend workshops, participate in group activities, enjoy a 15 minute massage, have postural or ergonomic assessments, or get a health screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, flexibility, fitness levels etc.
• Start a virtual in-house fitness challenge.
A healthier workplace really is do-able and is essential to our communities. By taking responsibility in our workforce we are taking steps towards our countries rising health costs. This healthy workplace culture transformation while not easy to change is simple to put into action. This is not just a one-time thing but becomes part of how we can do business every day.
Author Chris Bakens is head Performance Coach with Healthy Executives, a leading Brisbane corporate health company. They work with senior executives to implement healthy initiatives in the workplace. Her experience spans more than 2 decades in the fitness industry, working as a Personal Trainer, PT manager, Group exercise instructor and co-ordinator in some of Australia’s large gym chains. She also established a highly successful Personal Training studio in Brisbane and personally coaches Personal Training studios with strategies and tips to dramatically transform and master their trainers.
Transforming to a healthy culture requires active support from management in making workplace health a priority. This article will examine the elements of the current workplace and give you some simple steps of no cost and low cost options to making a start right now to some tangible benefits.
A Case for Action
What is happening now in the workplace?
• Australia annually loses billions in revenue due to sick days.
• Employees with multiple or chronic health concerns drive the biggest loss in productivity. Those concerns may include smoking, overweight or obesity, poor nutrition, not enough exercise, substance abuse, poor sleeping patterns, existing medical conditions etc.
• Poor health is impacting all levels of business including executives and non-managerial positions. Executives, management and supervisory positions suffer more presentee-ism productivity which is related to a lack of productivity due to poor health.
• Employees experience too little or too much responsibility and have unclear expectations in their roles.
• Poor communication.
• Lack of rewards and acknowledgment.
• Stress and mental health issues.
• Management attitudes and awareness.
The way the future could be with a healthier workplace:
• The culture of the workplace looks like a healthy environment by the way the employees act and the work is handled.
• Employees can’t tell you what the culture looks like but they can tell you how it feels.
• Employers, all levels of management, and employees are all part of the solution.
• Employers act as role models.
• Employee health is now part of the agenda at meetings
• Employers regularly share their health vision with employees in multiple types of communication.
• Management and supervisors are regularly trained on giving recognition and rewards.
• Employees are engaged in their work with less down-time.
• Employees are rewarded for taking action with healthy initiatives.
• Employees are acknowledged for work that is complete and not on the amount of hours to complete it. (Being busy versus getting the job done)
• Employers spend less money on training and developing new employees due to employee retention.
No cost and low cost actions steps you can take right now:
• Conduct meetings outside or on a walk, or take a 10 – 15 minute walk before or after the meeting.
• Allocate an employee to head up a wellness team and have them report back to management. This role can take as little as 2 hours per week.
• Use peer pressure wisely to gain interest in your wellness message. The message has to be something that is universal to most people (fat loss, how to make nutritious snacks, simple steps to handle stress etc) Leave time at the end for interaction. Use this as an opportunity to let them know the importance of healthy employees and the value it is to the organization.
• Train managers and supervisors to give rewards and recognition.
• Gain the professional expertise of a Personal Trainer to assist with a user-pays regular group exercise activity. These sessions can take place during or outside of work hours in a large inside space or nearby park. An opportunity to hear about the activity can be gained at an information meeting at a time that is convenient at work.
• Reinforce the health vision of your workplace with a regular newsletter that can be sent out to your internal database, an agenda at meetings, posted on the bulletin boards or distributed in the lunch-room.
• Provide a quarterly healthy living expo in the workplace where employees can gain valuable information, attend workshops, participate in group activities, enjoy a 15 minute massage, have postural or ergonomic assessments, or get a health screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, flexibility, fitness levels etc.
• Start a virtual in-house fitness challenge.
A healthier workplace really is do-able and is essential to our communities. By taking responsibility in our workforce we are taking steps towards our countries rising health costs. This healthy workplace culture transformation while not easy to change is simple to put into action. This is not just a one-time thing but becomes part of how we can do business every day.
Author Chris Bakens is head Performance Coach with Healthy Executives, a leading Brisbane corporate health company. They work with senior executives to implement healthy initiatives in the workplace. Her experience spans more than 2 decades in the fitness industry, working as a Personal Trainer, PT manager, Group exercise instructor and co-ordinator in some of Australia’s large gym chains. She also established a highly successful Personal Training studio in Brisbane and personally coaches Personal Training studios with strategies and tips to dramatically transform and master their trainers.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
5 Simple Strategies to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions
1. Decide what your goal is and commit to success:
Working out what you really want when you are surrounded by other people’s ideas can be confusing. Do you really want what you have or are you conditioned to want it?
If you are unclear want you want, make a list of things that you don’t want and do the opposite. This will give you a starting point. What is it that you no longer want to tolerate? What is it that you will now stand for?
What have you given up that really matters to you? Have you compromised on things that are important to you like no time with family, no social or love life, where you are living, or how much you earn? Can you choose just one thing to focus on that is important and worth the effort?
2. Write down as many reasons as you can why you want to succeed:
To create how you want your life there has to be a deep reason for change. The first step to having any goal accomplishment is desire. It is only then that when the desire becomes so intense that you do something about it.
Write down as many compelling reasons why this goal is important to you and then ask the following questions. A. Is this an important goal? B. If I continue with my current lifestyle will I achieve my goal? C. How will I feel when I achieve this goal? Use your imagination to see yourself reaching your goal.
Make a stand for something or fall for anything.
3. Live your goal as if you've already achieved it; imagine yourself succeeding:
The journey is the reward. It is who you become by reaching your goals rather than actually reaching your destination. Only by feeling the benefits of doing what you say you will do, can transform you from being a couch potato who talks about taking action, into someone who prizes really living life by achieving what they set out to do.
If your resolution is to be happy...choose to be happy. Remember that the right time may never come along. Ask someone you trust when you are being too serious.
Life is a circus. You can be the ring master or you can be the beast. Which one are you? It is never too late to have all of the things you want in your life.
4. Make a daily plan:
Life is not a journey for nothing. You would never get on a plane if the pilot did not know where he was going – would you? You have probably heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Basically if you do not plan your life then someone else will and you will live someone else’s dreams.
Even if you did no more than just write down the direction you would like your life to take, you would still benefit greatly from the enhanced mental focus. Your mind will be consistently pulling you in the direction of your written goals.
Every day take at least 10 minutes to sit down to organize and plan your life. Look at all the areas that are important to you like Family, health, professional, social, financial, mental, and spiritual development. Everyday write at least one thing down in each area. You will begin to see your own individual needs, your desires, your unique journey and what you really want your life to look like.
5. Devise coping strategies, and, most importantly never give up.
There are external and internal barriers which will prevent you from making the changes necessary. These are powerful forces which will either constrain you or stop you from achieving your goals.
External Barriers are things we may not be able to change, like the weather, kid’s school and sporting commitments, family obligations, the hours we work, bottleneck traffic at freeway construction, budget etc.
There are environmental factors also. If you want to stop smoking yet you are consistently around smokers.
If you want to take up a running program yet you work during daylight hours there is a safety aspect.
Internal Barriers are beliefs that drive our current behaviour. Emotional barriers can be “I will always be fat, I don’t deserve it, I am naturally a lazy person, I can’t get myself motivated,” or “I feel overwhelmed, I don’t have time, it is too difficult, I don’t have the right information, I always get interrupted “etc.
What about the times you wake up in the morning and think about going for a walk? Instead you lie in bed and toss and turn just ‘thinking about it’. Imagine how fit you would be if instead of just thinking about it, you actually got up and went for a walk?
The bottom line is that there is an 80/20 rule when it comes to getting what you want. If you do not have what you want in your life, it is because of either of these 2 barriers.
This may be hard to accept but what constrains or stops you are the 80 percent barriers within you. The other 20 percent is outside of you.
Expose the beliefs that do not empower you and replace them with the ones that do.
Working out what you really want when you are surrounded by other people’s ideas can be confusing. Do you really want what you have or are you conditioned to want it?
If you are unclear want you want, make a list of things that you don’t want and do the opposite. This will give you a starting point. What is it that you no longer want to tolerate? What is it that you will now stand for?
What have you given up that really matters to you? Have you compromised on things that are important to you like no time with family, no social or love life, where you are living, or how much you earn? Can you choose just one thing to focus on that is important and worth the effort?
2. Write down as many reasons as you can why you want to succeed:
To create how you want your life there has to be a deep reason for change. The first step to having any goal accomplishment is desire. It is only then that when the desire becomes so intense that you do something about it.
Write down as many compelling reasons why this goal is important to you and then ask the following questions. A. Is this an important goal? B. If I continue with my current lifestyle will I achieve my goal? C. How will I feel when I achieve this goal? Use your imagination to see yourself reaching your goal.
Make a stand for something or fall for anything.
3. Live your goal as if you've already achieved it; imagine yourself succeeding:
The journey is the reward. It is who you become by reaching your goals rather than actually reaching your destination. Only by feeling the benefits of doing what you say you will do, can transform you from being a couch potato who talks about taking action, into someone who prizes really living life by achieving what they set out to do.
If your resolution is to be happy...choose to be happy. Remember that the right time may never come along. Ask someone you trust when you are being too serious.
Life is a circus. You can be the ring master or you can be the beast. Which one are you? It is never too late to have all of the things you want in your life.
4. Make a daily plan:
Life is not a journey for nothing. You would never get on a plane if the pilot did not know where he was going – would you? You have probably heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Basically if you do not plan your life then someone else will and you will live someone else’s dreams.
Even if you did no more than just write down the direction you would like your life to take, you would still benefit greatly from the enhanced mental focus. Your mind will be consistently pulling you in the direction of your written goals.
Every day take at least 10 minutes to sit down to organize and plan your life. Look at all the areas that are important to you like Family, health, professional, social, financial, mental, and spiritual development. Everyday write at least one thing down in each area. You will begin to see your own individual needs, your desires, your unique journey and what you really want your life to look like.
5. Devise coping strategies, and, most importantly never give up.
There are external and internal barriers which will prevent you from making the changes necessary. These are powerful forces which will either constrain you or stop you from achieving your goals.
External Barriers are things we may not be able to change, like the weather, kid’s school and sporting commitments, family obligations, the hours we work, bottleneck traffic at freeway construction, budget etc.
There are environmental factors also. If you want to stop smoking yet you are consistently around smokers.
If you want to take up a running program yet you work during daylight hours there is a safety aspect.
Internal Barriers are beliefs that drive our current behaviour. Emotional barriers can be “I will always be fat, I don’t deserve it, I am naturally a lazy person, I can’t get myself motivated,” or “I feel overwhelmed, I don’t have time, it is too difficult, I don’t have the right information, I always get interrupted “etc.
What about the times you wake up in the morning and think about going for a walk? Instead you lie in bed and toss and turn just ‘thinking about it’. Imagine how fit you would be if instead of just thinking about it, you actually got up and went for a walk?
The bottom line is that there is an 80/20 rule when it comes to getting what you want. If you do not have what you want in your life, it is because of either of these 2 barriers.
This may be hard to accept but what constrains or stops you are the 80 percent barriers within you. The other 20 percent is outside of you.
Expose the beliefs that do not empower you and replace them with the ones that do.
Monday, December 21, 2009
How much walking does it take to burn off those festive goodies?
Considering having a second helping of Christmas pudding with brandy custard? This article gives you a short approximate guide to how much walking you have to do to equal the number of calories/kilojoules consumed at your festive gatherings.
The chart below shows the energy burned typically by someone at 73kg in weight. The calorie (kilojoules) expenditure will vary depending on the intensity level, body weight, exercise performed, duration and the individual.
Below are some popular festive goodies and the walking needed to burn it off
Serving size Yummy Christmas fare Approx. energy consumed Total fat (approx.) Approx. amount of activity
75g medium slice Christmas cake 270 calories or 1130kjs 11gfat 1 hr 15 min walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g medium slice Panettone 365 calories or 1520kjs 13gfat 1 hr 34 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Roast turkey (meat and skin) 170 calories or 710kjs 6.5gfat 45 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Roast turkey (lean meat, no skin) 150 calories or 630kjs 4gfat 40 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
50g thick slice Ham 70 calories or 290kjs 4gfat 15 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Pork (meat and fat) 215 calories or 900kjs 14gfat 55 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Pork (lean meat only) 195 calories or 810kjs 13gfat 50 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
1 cup (250g) Brandy Custard 265 calories or 1095kjs 6gfat 1 hr 10 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Xmas pudding 340 calories or 1420kjs 11gfat 1 hr 30 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
You can make a difference to your waistline AFTER Christmas by thinking twice about that second serving and opting for some healthier choices of fruit, salads, seafood and lean meats.
The chart below shows the energy burned typically by someone at 73kg in weight. The calorie (kilojoules) expenditure will vary depending on the intensity level, body weight, exercise performed, duration and the individual.
Below are some popular festive goodies and the walking needed to burn it off
Serving size Yummy Christmas fare Approx. energy consumed Total fat (approx.) Approx. amount of activity
75g medium slice Christmas cake 270 calories or 1130kjs 11gfat 1 hr 15 min walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g medium slice Panettone 365 calories or 1520kjs 13gfat 1 hr 34 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Roast turkey (meat and skin) 170 calories or 710kjs 6.5gfat 45 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Roast turkey (lean meat, no skin) 150 calories or 630kjs 4gfat 40 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
50g thick slice Ham 70 calories or 290kjs 4gfat 15 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Pork (meat and fat) 215 calories or 900kjs 14gfat 55 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Pork (lean meat only) 195 calories or 810kjs 13gfat 50 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
1 cup (250g) Brandy Custard 265 calories or 1095kjs 6gfat 1 hr 10 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
100g Xmas pudding 340 calories or 1420kjs 11gfat 1 hr 30 min medium paced walk at 5.6 km p/h
You can make a difference to your waistline AFTER Christmas by thinking twice about that second serving and opting for some healthier choices of fruit, salads, seafood and lean meats.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Merry Christmas This is my heartfelt wish to my friends and family for the holidays
May you have much happiness over the holidays. It has been an honour to know and learn from you in 2009.
May you give to yourself everyday.
May your “time off” be just that.
May you enjoy the challenge of being out of your comfort zone.
May you commit to a plan and the required action to achieve your dreams.
May you believe in yourself and fear less.
May you eat well and move everyday.
May you Laugh without loudly and regularly without hesitation.
May you love with passion.
May you be proud of the person in the mirror.
May you continue to dream bigger and brighter.
May you take the time to play.
May you work smarter and not harder.
May you feed your body well to add more time and quality to your life.
May you feel the fear and do it anyway.
May you take the time to travel and soak up the wealth and knowledge of other people and places.
May you smile, laugh, dance and sing.
May you persevere through the stretch and struggle to reach success.
May you turn all your obstacles into opportunities.
May you achieve your goals for 2010.
Merry Christmas from Chris.
May you give to yourself everyday.
May your “time off” be just that.
May you enjoy the challenge of being out of your comfort zone.
May you commit to a plan and the required action to achieve your dreams.
May you believe in yourself and fear less.
May you eat well and move everyday.
May you Laugh without loudly and regularly without hesitation.
May you love with passion.
May you be proud of the person in the mirror.
May you continue to dream bigger and brighter.
May you take the time to play.
May you work smarter and not harder.
May you feed your body well to add more time and quality to your life.
May you feel the fear and do it anyway.
May you take the time to travel and soak up the wealth and knowledge of other people and places.
May you smile, laugh, dance and sing.
May you persevere through the stretch and struggle to reach success.
May you turn all your obstacles into opportunities.
May you achieve your goals for 2010.
Merry Christmas from Chris.
7 Tips to surviving Christmas and still have fun
Do you think you may just blow your waistline over the holidays? Faced with lots of yummy food at this time of year? You can survive the silly season and enjoy your Christmas without looking like Santa by January 1.
1. Don’t eat unless you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Does not get any clearer than that. In fact, if you take no other tips away with you, this will be the best piece of advice I can give you.
2. Don’t stop exercising because it is Christmas. If you are not already exercising regularly then don’t wait till the January 1 to start. January 1 turns into January 31 and the little doona cover around your middle gets larger so get started today. The best exercise you can do is the one that you enjoy doing. The holidays are a great time to get a game of backyard or beach cricket, volleyball or footy going. Stay cool with some beach activities or pool games. The list is endless of how much you can do that will keep you moving and is fun.
3. Drink more water. The amounts of food and alcohol we consume can be less if you drink 1 glass of water before eating and 1 glass of water between each alcoholic beverage.
4. Choose healthier and lower fat foods where possible. Choose barbequed and fresh foods over deep fried and processed foods.
5. Treat yourself to smaller amounts of party food.
6. Avoid picking at food for no good reason. Get into the Christmas spirit with activities that keep your busy. Keep moving by chatting, dancing, playing games with the kids, socializing and assisting to clean up.
7. Bring lots of healthy low fat meals and treats to the events you attend. Be mindful of the pasta and potato salads as these can be loaded with high fat dressings. By bringing along healthy food you will be helping your family and friends keep the scales down as well.
You can make a difference to the size of your bits after the silly season. Get into the habit of exercising and eating healthy now and you will survive Christmas with your body looking good and you feeling fantastic forever.
1. Don’t eat unless you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Does not get any clearer than that. In fact, if you take no other tips away with you, this will be the best piece of advice I can give you.
2. Don’t stop exercising because it is Christmas. If you are not already exercising regularly then don’t wait till the January 1 to start. January 1 turns into January 31 and the little doona cover around your middle gets larger so get started today. The best exercise you can do is the one that you enjoy doing. The holidays are a great time to get a game of backyard or beach cricket, volleyball or footy going. Stay cool with some beach activities or pool games. The list is endless of how much you can do that will keep you moving and is fun.
3. Drink more water. The amounts of food and alcohol we consume can be less if you drink 1 glass of water before eating and 1 glass of water between each alcoholic beverage.
4. Choose healthier and lower fat foods where possible. Choose barbequed and fresh foods over deep fried and processed foods.
5. Treat yourself to smaller amounts of party food.
6. Avoid picking at food for no good reason. Get into the Christmas spirit with activities that keep your busy. Keep moving by chatting, dancing, playing games with the kids, socializing and assisting to clean up.
7. Bring lots of healthy low fat meals and treats to the events you attend. Be mindful of the pasta and potato salads as these can be loaded with high fat dressings. By bringing along healthy food you will be helping your family and friends keep the scales down as well.
You can make a difference to the size of your bits after the silly season. Get into the habit of exercising and eating healthy now and you will survive Christmas with your body looking good and you feeling fantastic forever.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Fitness on a shoestring budget.
Are you using the current economic climate as the reason not to exercise? You may be doing it tough, but Australia is becoming soft around the middle as a result of deskbound work, increased reliance on our vehicles for transportation, fast food, and technology that makes things easier. It is a perfect recipe for the expanding girth of our population.
“Don’t use the justification that you have no money as the excuse not to be healthy” says Chris Bakens from Healthy Executives. “The truth is, you do not need lots of cash to get fit. You just need the desire to want to make a difference to your health and fitness and transform your sedentary lifestyle.”
Investing time on your health now will give you a healthy way of life, and put you in a better financial position by preventing costly health problems later.
There are 7 tips below to get started today for little or no money at all.
1. Exercise in the comfort of your own home. Exercise DVD’s or some of the Pay TV channels have regular programs that focus on getting you moving. If you don’t have any of these available to you, then join your local Library and borrow them, and what’s more...it’s FREE.
2. Your local community parks have pathways to walk and run as well as fixed equipment to exercise. Check out your local council website or service desk to find out where. All you will need to get started is to have some comfortable clothing you can move in, supportive footwear and slip, slop, slap.
3. FREE group exercise. Most of the major capital cities have regular group fitness activities that are run by their local councils. It is also worthwhile checking out some of the major privatized parklands in your city for FREE exercise programs (E.g. Southbank parklands).
4. Include your family. Get outside with your kids. Dust off the bikes in the shed, shoot some hoops, kick the footy or play some tag. Nothing exudes happiness more than some quality time with the people who mean the most to you in life. Take a trip to the beach this week-end to go for walks on the beach, beach cricket, body board some surf, or beach soccer.
5. Surf the Internet. Want some FREE advice on how to get started on an exercise program? There are many FREE programs available to you at a press of a button and awaiting you to take action.
6. Weights workout with no fancy equipment. You can work your legs at the gym using the leg press, but unless you are planning on pushing rocks up a hill, you can’t really apply it to every-day life. Use body weight to become mentally and physically stronger. Push ups, dips, chin ups, squats, and lunges will give you are more efficient and balanced body in regard to appearance and function.
7. Group fitness at work. Get a bunch of your work colleagues together for a regular run or walk at the park. Seek the guidance of a qualified Personal Trainer to come to your workplace or Local Park to monitor and guide you with your program and give you the accountability you require.
In summary: The military have a simple philosophy: improvise, adapt and overcome. It refers to every situation of everything you do. If it is too cold to exercise, then put an extra layer on, if it is too hot to exercise then drink more water or participate in some water activities. Whatever your circumstances, it is your goal to improvise, adapt and overcome and get your workouts done.
“Don’t use the justification that you have no money as the excuse not to be healthy” says Chris Bakens from Healthy Executives. “The truth is, you do not need lots of cash to get fit. You just need the desire to want to make a difference to your health and fitness and transform your sedentary lifestyle.”
Investing time on your health now will give you a healthy way of life, and put you in a better financial position by preventing costly health problems later.
There are 7 tips below to get started today for little or no money at all.
1. Exercise in the comfort of your own home. Exercise DVD’s or some of the Pay TV channels have regular programs that focus on getting you moving. If you don’t have any of these available to you, then join your local Library and borrow them, and what’s more...it’s FREE.
2. Your local community parks have pathways to walk and run as well as fixed equipment to exercise. Check out your local council website or service desk to find out where. All you will need to get started is to have some comfortable clothing you can move in, supportive footwear and slip, slop, slap.
3. FREE group exercise. Most of the major capital cities have regular group fitness activities that are run by their local councils. It is also worthwhile checking out some of the major privatized parklands in your city for FREE exercise programs (E.g. Southbank parklands).
4. Include your family. Get outside with your kids. Dust off the bikes in the shed, shoot some hoops, kick the footy or play some tag. Nothing exudes happiness more than some quality time with the people who mean the most to you in life. Take a trip to the beach this week-end to go for walks on the beach, beach cricket, body board some surf, or beach soccer.
5. Surf the Internet. Want some FREE advice on how to get started on an exercise program? There are many FREE programs available to you at a press of a button and awaiting you to take action.
6. Weights workout with no fancy equipment. You can work your legs at the gym using the leg press, but unless you are planning on pushing rocks up a hill, you can’t really apply it to every-day life. Use body weight to become mentally and physically stronger. Push ups, dips, chin ups, squats, and lunges will give you are more efficient and balanced body in regard to appearance and function.
7. Group fitness at work. Get a bunch of your work colleagues together for a regular run or walk at the park. Seek the guidance of a qualified Personal Trainer to come to your workplace or Local Park to monitor and guide you with your program and give you the accountability you require.
In summary: The military have a simple philosophy: improvise, adapt and overcome. It refers to every situation of everything you do. If it is too cold to exercise, then put an extra layer on, if it is too hot to exercise then drink more water or participate in some water activities. Whatever your circumstances, it is your goal to improvise, adapt and overcome and get your workouts done.
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