Days get crazy – even if we start them with the best of intentions and a “plan” to attack the to-do list. Trust me, I get it. I have roughly 10-12 articles due a month for various organizations and sometimes I even need to remind myself to get up every 90 minutes and move. Given that 2/3 of the country struggles suffers from poor health, we can safely assume that same 2/3 struggle with daily movement. Below are the tactics I employ throughout my day (following my morning workout) to keep the blood flowing freely and the calories burning.
Powerful Bursts of Activity
On my “work days”, I take consistent 90-minute breaks and perform a combination of the following for 5-10 minutes at a time. I use a timer on my phone to keep me on track so I don’t get lost in my writing…
- Walk breaks around the house or outside (weather depending)
- Body weight squats and walking lunges coupled with crunches
- Jump squats followed by chair dips
- A brisk 5-minute walk followed by a plank series – front, right side, left side
- Hip abduction and extension using resistance bands (right side then left side)
- Jog in place for 5 minutes followed by pushups and triceps extensions with a resistance band
- Yoga stretches and poses
- Running stairs for 3 minutes followed by a series of upper body and lower body stretches
- 5 minutes of calisthenics followed by a core series of supermans and sit-ups
- Rear lunges with front kick followed by side lunges and squats with abduction
It doesn’t matter what you do for those 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day – it simply matters that you do something to move your body, encourage blood flow, and get the heart beating just a bit faster. Don’t be an active couch potato – yes, working out daily is beneficial, but not as beneficial if you sit for the rest of the day and don’t take mindful and meaningful breaks. So, get to it!
Until next time, friends. Be Well.