Dear Ellen,
Back in high school and college, I was always super-athletic. I did sports + competed — and even just running around campus to make it to all of my classes was a workout!
But now that I’m out of school, it feels like there’s never enough time to stay fit. I wake up at 7am, shower and get dressed, drive through traffic across town, put in 8 (really more like 10) hour days at the office, drive all the way home, prep some dinner, spend some time with my girlfriend … and before I know it, it’s practically midnight and all I want to do is pass out.
I know that it’s possible to “make time” for the gym if I REALLY commit to it, but for some reason, I’m struggling to make it happen. I can already tell that it’s affecting my body — and my mood.
Ideas? Tips? A kick in the ass?
Can you help?
Signed,
Not-So-Sweaty in San Francisco
Dear Not-So-Sweaty:
We all have 24 hours in the day. Some people (think: Obama, Beyoncé, Richard Branson) manage to pack an awful lot into those 24 hours…including fitness. Others? Not so much.
Still, I can commiserate with your plight, Not-So-Sweaty. I love walking around my neighborhood and working up a light sweat in my garden, but when faced with the choice between (a) exercising and (b) anything else, I almost always opt for option b. Which usually means: binge-watching the latest scandalous HBO drama until I pass out.
But despite my couch-potato tendencies, I’ve realized, like you, Not-So-Sweaty, that having a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on my creativity and productivity at work…not to mention, my self-esteem.
So I make an effort to make physical activity a priority — even when it feels like I don’t have any time to spare.
With a little advance planning, I promise that you can do it, too.
Here are a few tips to make it happen:
: Look closely at how you’re really spending your time. 15 minutes on Facebook, here…30 minutes watching a Netflix episode, there…oops! You might have a lot more “free time” than you think. (I know I do!)
: Combine + conquer. Combine things you need (and want) to do … with exercise! Listen to podcasts while you’re jogging. Do lunges while you’re waiting for your laundry to dry. Hop on the treadmill while you’re watching TV. (I know a woman who does jumping jacks and boxing punches while waiting for the bus to arrive. Additional benefit: potential creeps leave her alone, because she looks completely insane!)
: Make it a game! Download an app or get a fitness device to help you keep track of your steps and workouts. Start a friendly competition with a couple of friends, and pool your cash to create a prize for whoever exercises the most!
: Bring fitness to work. Start a coffee-break walking club, or ask if you can use a spare conference room for a lunchtime yoga DVD (…and invite your colleagues to join in). Many companies are interested in getting employees more active — it reduces stress and sick days, so it’s good for their bottom line.
: Just SIT less. The latest studies show that sitting is almost as bad for our health as smoking. So if you have a sedentary desk job, be sure to stand at least 15 minutes every hour. Or, even better…invest in a standing desk!
It really doesn’t take much to start bringing fitness back into your life.
And yes, all the clichés are true: even ten, twenty or thirty minutes of movement is better than nothing.
So start moving, Not-So-Sweaty, and you won’t just feel better — you’ll be an inspiration to everyone around you.
In fact, you’ve already inspired me! In honor of you + your soon-to-be-active lifestyle, I’m going to close down my computer and head out for a brisk walk. My body (and brain) are thanking you, already!
Yours,
Ellen
Image: Willie Franklin