Reboot Your Workout Routine

#challenge #change #consistency #exercises #fall #lifestyle #priorities #routines Sep 08, 2023

Despite summer being my favorite season, by the time August rolls around, I'm usually feeling like a summer sloth. Lots of sleep, slower pace, saying yes to all the things and all the foods… and while I’m making the best memories, my choices sometimes leave me feeling slow and sluggish. I’m grateful for a season of YES but I am also feeling very motivated to get back on track. Today, I'm sharing simple ways to REBOOT as we usher in the fall season.

If we want to reboot our current workout routine and lifestyle, we've got to start small. Can you commit to daily movement for the next 30 days? Even as little as 10 minutes, per day? Let’s shoot for consistency over intensity and I bet we’ll find ourselves in a much better place to start crushing new goals this fall.

Here are a few easy ways to increase your movement throughout your daily life, despite your busy schedule!

Take a short walk! Find yourself feeling bloated and uncomfortable after a meal? A study in the the Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases came to the conclusion that taking just a 15-minute "slow" walk after you eat your meal will help with digestion by accelerating the "gastric emptying" of the meal. Yep, a little walk helps your food get moving and reduces that bloated, too-full feeling. Similarly, in a 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients found that walking after a meal (versus before) significantly reduces blood sugar spikes. Even just 10 minutes can make a big impact! And lastly, a 2011 study found that walking just after a meal was more effective for weight loss than waiting an hour after eating (International Journal of General Medicine). Just a little bit of movement can make a big difference!

Strive for daily movement over weekend warrior-ing. Instead of doing all of your long, high-intensity, heavy lifting workouts 1-2 days per week, focus on spending 10-20 minutes a day moving your body. A study from the University of Utah shows that all those little bits and pieces of exercise you do throughout the day can add up to something big. Even just a single “brisk” minute of moving can have a big impact. Women who incorporated short bursts of high-intensity activities into everyday life had a small decrease in their body mass index (BMI), compared to control subjects. The calorie burn during this short but intense session of exercise allowed the women to weigh about 1/2 pound less than their nonactive counterparts. Short, quick workouts even decreased the odds of obesity for both men and women. If you’re going to workout for less time, though, the key is to KICK IT UP and bring the intensity, even just for a few minutes.

Here are some sneaky ways to get movement in when you’re already doing other things:

Use TV commercial breaks to your advantage. You can get up and do jumping jacks or do push ups before your television show resumes. Remember, bring the heat!
Try the nano workout method by exercising while you do daily tasks like brushing your teeth. Instead of just standing there, do a few calf raises or squats.
Set a reminder on your phone to motivate you to exercise throughout the day. You could close your office door to do yoga or take a short walk after you eat lunch!
Walk to complete errands instead of driving. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away from the store. Every little bit helps!

Mix it up! Your body isn’t cut out for high intensity 7 days a week. And that might be why you’re feeling burned out - your body can’t handle the same thing each and every day. If you find yourself in a workout-rut, try something completely different! Not sure where to start? Have I introduced you to Fierce on Demand yet?! We have EVERYTHING! Pilates, yoga, 10-minute workouts, bands, weights, cardio… everything!

Let’s REBOOT our workouts this month by starting slow and steady. Look for ways to incorporate more movement into your schedule and don’t underestimate even 5-minutes of a quick exercise burst! We’re all in this together.

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Reboot Your Workout Routine

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