The average American is faced with a myriad of challenges in their daily lives with one of the most commonplace being their own health. Somewhere between juggling a demanding career with a loving, yet equally challenging family life, they have forgotten that their own well-being is dependent on healthy nutrition and regular exercise. Despite the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 50 minutes of moderate exercise a week, only approximately 23% of American adults meet these requirements according to the CDC.
Making a conscious decision to become more active is the first step towards taking defying the statistics and taking control of your own health and something fitness professionals can provide a lot of guidance on. While many zealous individuals may very well be inspired to run marathons during their lunch break, it is pertinent to ease your way into a more active lifestyle as to reduce the risk of injury as well as prevent you from losing interest just as fast as you gained it. The following recommendations will help you to encourage your clients to incorporate exercise into their busy lifestyles at a gentle pace.
Take the stairs
Does your client know that climbing stairs not only burns calories but also significantly boosts heart health as well? According to Georgia’s Department of Kinesiology and Health, stair climbing works a number of muscles in the bottom half of your body including your glutes, calves, hips, hamstrings, and quads. Stair climbing is a terrific way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and should be encouraged at all costs. Suggest that, instead of taking the elevator at the office, your client takes the stairs instead. They can do the same when they are out and about, especially at multiple-story shopping malls. If they don’t have a staircase at their offices, suggest popping into a nearby public building during their lunch break and walk up and down a few flights before returning to their desks.
Ditch the couch when watching TV
Your clients can easily engage in some moderate exercises while catching up on their favorite television programs after a busy day at work. You don’t have to exercise for the entire hour-long duration of your Netflix show but can, instead, aim to do a few sets of exercises such as lunges, squats, jumping jacks, chair dips and even sit-ups during the commercial breaks. Inform them that if they have a treadmill or elliptical trainer at home they can position it in front of the TV and get moving instead of sitting on the couch. They will be surprised by how much they can actually get done when they put their minds to it.
Cut down on your commute
Walking is undeniably one of the most under-utilized forms of exercise, yet the one that almost everyone can engage in entirely free of charge. If you commute to work via train, bus or subway, get off one stop before yours and walk the rest of the way to work. You might have to leave home a couple of minutes earlier to compensate for the somewhat slower form of transport but it will be well worth the effort as you start feeling yourself getting fitter and stronger. Even if you drive to work yourself you can park a block further away than usual to gain the benefit of walking the additional distance to the office. Educating your clients on all the benefits of walking as well as indicating just how easy it can be, will go a long way in encouraging them to get more active on a daily basis.
Engaging in regular exercise is one of the greatest gifts we can bestow upon ourselves. Despite being subjected to hectic lifestyles, there are always ways to incorporate regular physical activity into our daily routine that will not only boost our over health and fitness levels but help improve our moods and shed some undesirable excess weight as well.
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Sally Perkins
