A Prescription for Fresh Air and Exercise

Because it’s such a beautiful day outside (and I’m stuck inside), I thought I would write a little bit about getting some exercise and fresh air, simultaneously, of course. On days like today, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to be indoors unless they have to be. Sadly, many of us have jobs and must be tied to a computer (almost literally). Or, maybe you attend classes at a local college and you’re stuck in a stuffy classroom right now. Someone’s got to do it, right? We can’t all go to Kaplan University. Or, can we? I don’t know. I just know I’m going stir crazy right now.

I actually shouldn’t complain too much because I take my laptop outside and work all the time. I’m pretty lucky in that way. I just setup a table outside and get to work. Except when I have to charge my battery (like now). It can be a little hard to see the screen when I sit in the sun, but that’s a small price to pay.

Anyway, I’ve been kind of shrugging off exercise lately, which I know is really terrible. I just haven’t been in the mood, I guess. Fortunately, I’m getting back into the swing of things. Yesterday, I actually wanted to go to the gym for the first time in ages.

But, the gym isn’t my first choice for exercise spots. I’ve got a really cool mountain nearby that I love to hike up on days like today. Believe me, it’s a steep hike, but the payoff is worthwhile: The view is nothing short of amazing (see above pic). Plus, it’s so peaceful up there.

But, you don’t need an awesome mountain with a hiking trail to get exercise outside. You can go for a walk, jog, run or bike ride. Oh, and that reminds me: there’s also a walking/biking trail around here that is top-notch. Can you tell I’m longing to go outside and get some exercise? It’s okay; my day will come very soon.

In the meantime, would you do me a favor and get out there and get some exercise for me? It’ll make me feel a little better, and I know it’ll make you feel a lot better. The fresh air will do you good.

5 Tips for Finding Motivation to Exercise

I don't know about you, but whenever I slow down with my exercise routine, I end up falling into a slump. I get lazy. Actually, it’s been fairly easy to get some exercise in lately because I’m spending some time in sunny Florida, but I’m heading back to New York next week and dreading the weather (but looking forward to seeing the fam again, of course). No more long walks in the sunshine. Sigh. Time to find some motivation.

Here are the tips that usually help me out when I’m lacking motivation:

1. Make it as easy as possible to get up and go. When the weather is nice, I try to go jogging every other morning, but occasionally I slip up. I set out all my workout clothes and accessories at the foot of my bed, ready to go. Everything is just one step, so there is no need to get overwhelmed. I can put on my jogging clothes and leave without spending time to procrastinate. The clothes are out where I can see them.

2. Get somebody to work out with you. Having an exercise buddy will put some healthy pressure on you to continue working out. An exercise buddy will also give you some friendly competition.

3. Reward yourself. I set a reward for myself every week. For example, if I work out every other day this week I will go to the movies with a friend on Sunday. If I don’t exercise, I will be watching television alone. The reward can be an activity or a free day away from dieting. There are plenty of ways to reward yourself to keep yourself working out.

4. Make working out fun rather than boring. Do a workout that you really like doing. If you like working out with the Xbox Kinect, you should keep doing that. If you don’t like going to the gym every day, cancel your account and start running. Join an athletic team at school or with friends from work. You will never be motivated to do something you hate, no matter how you reward yourself.

5. Use social networking sites. Tell people about your goals and all you plan to do to achieve them. People might be encouraging or they might provide some powerful motivation.

The truth is, anyone can make excuses. It takes a bigger person to make time. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. You could be a busy doctor or a part-time administrative assistant; you can make time for exercise. All you have to do is make it a priority in your life.

5 Habits to Nurture Your Body

If we’re lucky, we’ve been taught to take care of our bodies by exercising and eating right, but there are other ways to make sure your body is running at its best. Of course exercise and nutrition are at the top of the list, but it’s really important to take the time to treat yourself right. After all, you only get this one body. Don’t think of these things as work; think of them as pampering yourself.

And remember, there are more (and more effective) ways to pamper yourself than just going to the spa. You can nurture your body in small ways every day by instilling healthy habits that are easy to maintain. A healthy body can create a healthy mind and simply by changing a few daily habits, you will find yourself glowing inside and out.

The five following habits can help you nurture your body on a daily basis.

1. Exercise: Exercising daily will help your body and mind. Exercise is associated with not just physical health, but mental health as well. Taking the time every day to nourish your body with a daily run or other type of exercise will give you a mental boost as well as a physical one.

2. Sleep well: Getting enough rest each night will help you feel more energetic each day. Most people need about eight hours of sleep each night, but everyone is different. Getting the right amount of sleep for your body helps combat obesity levels and keeps you feeling alert and active.

3. Eat breakfast everyday: Eating breakfast is associated with a healthier weight. A nutritious breakfast will keep you feeling satisfied until lunch, preventing mid-morning snacking and keeping your mood steady all morning.

4. Fresh air and sunshine: The modern world is out of whack with our natural cycles. Human beings need fresh air and sunshine to feel healthy and happy. Vitamin D from the sun helps us absorb other nutrients and helps us get better rest at night.

5. Meditation: Daily meditation helps people feel more grounded and combats stress levels. Meditating brings aggression levels down and keeps you level-headed in any situation.

Fitness and Friends

One of the most often overlooked things that can help you live a healthy lifestyle is this: Have healthy relationships. Studies have shown that we tend to emulate the people we’re friends with. So, if you want to gain weight, be friends with people who are overweight. If you want to be miserable, hang out with unhappy people. On the other hand, if you’d like to be well-adjusted and fit, hangout with people who care about themselves have fitness goals. It’s a sad reality, but the science shows that people can bring us down. If you’re a glass-half full kind of person, it’s good news. Your friends can also lift you up.

I’m not saying to ditch the group of friends you’ve been with since grade school. I’m just saying, it’s time to reevaluate things. Maybe it’s time to start adding some more active people to your group. Just be sure they’re not in the minority, or you might just bring them down. That’s just not nice.

Another thing you can do is to be the person who lifts others up. Your friends will be more likely to become fit themselves if they see you thriving with a fit and healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to be pushy. Just ask them to come along for a healthy lunch or take an afternoon stroll (or jog, depending on your fitness level). If they say no, that’s okay. It’s not really your job to change their lives. It’s only your job to change your own. As you lead by example, you can only hope that they’ll see how much better it is to be healthy than to be a couch potato.

If nothing else works, you can still hang out with your friends, but it might be time to find a new group to spend more of your time with. If you think about it, this is your life. If you want to make positive changes, you might need to make some tough calls.

Remember to Get a Good Night's Sleep

If you’re like most of us who actually care about being fit and healthy, you try to eat right and exercise, but there’s one thing you might be overlooking: A good night’s sleep. Sometimes this even happens to us as a result of trying to get ourselves in better shape, which is kind of silly. In order to be truly healthy, we need to find a way to eat right and exercise, but also leave enough time to get a decent amount of sleep.

Each person’s needs are different, so I can't tell you to get eight hours or six hours. I can only tell you to experiment and see what works for you.

Here are some things you can do to ensure you’re getting the right amount of sleep:

1. Stop eating at least three hours before you plan to go to bed.

2. Don’t do anything too stressful in that three hour period. That means no work or watching emotionally taxing television programs (like something especially scary or sad).

3. Turn off the television about an hour before you plan to go to bed. This is a good time to have some pleasant conversation with a spouse or just simply relax. You can take a bath or read a book. Just know that this is a time to wind down.

4. Set a specific bedtime each night. Start by taking note of the time you want to be awake in the morning. If you want to be up at 6 a.m., go to bed by 10 p.m. Do this for a week and listen to your body. If you find yourself waking up way too early, you might be allowing too much time for sleep. Move your bedtime to a half hour later, and try that for a week. Keep adjusting your bedtime until you find one that works for you. The goal is for you to wake up just before your alarm clock rings. Just be sure to allow at least one week to adjust to every new bedtime.