Small Changes Can Make a Difference In Finding
Time To Work Out
By Raelynn Coombs
Are you trying to take off a few pounds? Maybe you just want
to have more energy and feel better. Are you saying to yourself,
“When can I find the time?” Well, small changes in your everyday
lifestyle can make a difference.
Our society has actually made it easy for us to “find the
time”. When you hear the word technology, do you think, “Wow!
Technology sure has made my life easier”, “Technology, what’s
technology,” Or do you say to yourself, “If only we could live
in a world without all the fancy technology, my life would
be so much better.” I would be willing to bet that almost all
of us are NOT thinking the latter. Just think about how bad
obesity has gotten. According to the National Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity has risen at an epidemic
rate in the Unites States during the past 20 years.
Think back to the days before technology. There were no washing
machines, dryers, dishwashers, or microwaves. People had to
grow their own vegetables and hunt for food. Not only were
chores time consuming, they also provided exercise. Now we
don’t have to worry about taking up all that time throughout
the day just living. There are so many things that technology
has done for our society! This should create more time for
all of us right? Wrong! It seems that although we have all
of these time saving inventions, we still don’t have enough
time to stay fit and healthy because of other commitments with
which we have filled those time slots. Just stop and really
think about what you do daily. Is there anything that you can
cut out of your day that is not absolutely necessary? Do you
ever watch television? Do you unnecessarily surf the net? I’m
not saying stop doing these things. I’m just saying if you
tell yourself that you can not find the time to fit in a twenty
minute walk or a thirty to forty-five minute strength training
session, think again. When I started changing my lifestyle,
I realized that I watched too much television. There were certain
programs that I just couldn’t miss. When I couldn’t fit in
a workout, I started taping my “had to see” shows and watching
them at a later time so that I could fit in a workout. Do you
have family obligations that prohibit you from working out?
Delegate some of these things to other family members if possible.
If you’re a parent of young children, maybe Dad, Grandma, Grandpa,
or an older child can take on some of the responsibilities.
You CAN find a way to fit in a workout. Even if it is fifteen
minutes three different times throughout the day. Any exercise
is better than none at all. There is always going to be something
to stop you from exercising, but there is always a way to work
it out.
I will give you a short scenario of my life. I have three
daughters (ages 1,4, and 13), a husband, two home businesses,
I work outside the home two nights a week, and do daily household
chores. My days are very busy. I still make the time to workout
six days a week and spend quality time with my family. Whether
it is five a.m. before the kids are awake or 10 p.m. after
they are in bed, I make it happen. No one said it was easy,
but it can be done. Sure there are days that I don’t feel like
working out, but when I get started, I feel so much better
about it. There are also days that I miss a workout maybe because
of a needy, ill child or maybe I’m not feeling well. Those
days are very few, but they will and do happen.
So, take a look at your daily routine and make some changes.
Here is a short list of things that could make a difference.
-
Take the stairs whenever possible instead
of the elevator or escalator.
-
Park in the back of the parking
lot instead of close to the front.
-
Start out slow and
find one thing in your diet that you can cut out. Examples:
Soft drinks, something sweet
that you
eat every day, fried foods, butter, etc.
-
Take a
pair of tennis shoes to work and take a walk during
lunch if possible.
-
When you go out to eat, make sure it
is a place where you can order something healthy.
-
If
you must have bread, (and I must) eat wheat bread instead
of white.
-
Have a bottle of water with you at
all times. Drink plenty of water.
-
Carry a snack pack with
you in your vehicle for those times
when hunger
just overtakes
you. This way
you will not overeat
when you finally get to that
point. Example: Bottled water, nuts, fruit,
and pretzels.
-
Pre-plan your
day the night before. Including meals, and
exercising. This
helped me.
-
If you feel hungry
when you know you
really shouldn’t
be,
brush your
teeth.
This might
make food taste a
little less appealing.
These are just a few things that could help. Try adding some
of these changes to your lifestyle. They might just help you.
Raelynn Coombs is the owner and Certified Personal Trainer
of Get Fit To Go. The American Council On Exercise, the largest
nonprofit fitness certifying organization in the world, has
certified Raelynn as a Personal Trainer. She has been training
and also personal coaching at her local YMCA for the past year.
Coombs started Get Fit To Go not only because of her desire
to work in the fitness industry, but also so that she could
have a flexible schedule to be home for her three daughters.
