Six Easy Ways to Stay in Shape

Exercise with a Friend

The key to exercising is to make it less like work and more like play.  I never create a workout routine for myself because it becomes too scheduled, and therefore more like work.  I also vary my activities so I eliminate tedious repetition.  If it takes a lot of motivation to go out for a jog by yourself, try jogging with a friend.  Often we find that while we lack motivation to exercise by ourselves, we usually try harder when we know someone else is counting on us.  Jogging with a friend also eliminates the monotony of the task and makes time go quicker.  If you’re constantly thinking about each step you’re taking, you won’t make it as far as you are capable.  If you distract yourself with conversation or other thoughts, you’ll go a good distance without hardly even realizing it.  If you’re not a jogger, the same principles apply with walking.  If you have a date to go for a walk with a friend, you’re more likely to do it.  If you don’t have anyone to walk or jog with, offer to walk your neighbor’s dog.  It’s likely the dog will be very grateful to be out for some exercise, and you’ll feel good about it, too.

Make Exercise Fun

  If you live in an area where the winters are bitterly long and cold, it’s unlikely you’ll find motivation to get outside to exercise.  If you’re on a tight budget, it’s also unlikely that you’ll be willing to dish out hefty gym membership fees.  There are alternatives, however.  If you’re willing to spend a little bit of money (though not as much as a gym membership), buy yourself a Wii Fit.  This clever video game eliminates the problem of motivation, as the activities are both interesting and effective.  It includes cardiovascular activities, strength training, yoga, as well as games that improve your balance.  The difficulty of the activities varies, so it’s easy to get in to but allows you to progress, as well.  It also allows you to keep track of your weight and your BMI (Body Mass Index) so you’re motivated to continue as you see your results improve.  It’s easily something that can be done every day or whenever you have the time.  But exercise doesn’t always have to be considered exercise.  Maybe you hate jogging and can’t stand the monotony of other traditional exercises.  Play frisbee with a friend in the park.  Go to a batting cage.  Go to a local pool.  Do some archery.    You get the same workout as if you were trying to exercise, but you do it while having fun.  

Move Your Body.

If you work in an office all day, every day, it can be extremely difficult to find any time to do anything, much less exercise.  Between work and school, I’m preoccupied with activities for 13 hours a day.  When I’m at work or school, however, I make time to get up and walk around.  This is necessary to keep good circulation in your legs.  In addition to that, I do a few exercises at my desk.  I begin with flexing my calves, then I’ll flex my thighs.  It may sound strange, but repeatedly contracting your muscles simulates walking and builds strength.  I then focus on my abs.  While sitting up straight, I contract my abdominal muscles while sucking my stomach in.  If you keep at this, you’ll definitely be able to feel it while also improving your posture.  If you’re required to straighten your spine, your posture will automatically improve, giving you a more toned appearance and reducing back strain.  Next I focus on my arms.  I stretch them behind me, rest them on the back of my chair and hold it there.  You should be able to feel your shoulder and neck muscles, as well as your biceps.  Flex your biceps as you hold that position and you’ll really begin to feel it.  This is something you can do while you’re working so it therefore doesn’t consume any of your precious free time.

Watch Your Diet

I don’t expect anyone to go on a diet.  In fact, I don’t believe in diets.  They’re too imposing and restricting, and when the diet is over, it’s likely that the dieter will just revert back to his or her old eating habits.  The key is to make small, barely noticeable changes that don’t drastically alter your habits.  One thing you can do is bring your lunch to work instead of going out to eat.  Most employees only have a narrow time frame to grab lunch, so the most feasible option is to go for fast food.  For a while, in an attempt to save money, I went without eating all day, but then when I’d get home from class at 11:00 at night, I’d stuff my face with whatever was available.  My lunch now generally consists of a turkey sandwich and an apple.  It’s nutritious, it’s filling, and if it’s the only meal I get all day, I’m still getting a majority of important nutrients, which used to be a big problem for me.  When you don’t get important vitamins and minerals, your body responds to it, and it can make you feel fatigued, light-headed and nauseous.  In some cases, if it becomes a consistent habit, you can even become anemic.  By not eating out every day for lunch, I don’t feel like I’m giving anything up.  I know I can go without fast food, and I feel better and save money at the same time.

Drink More Water

Ok, I’ll be the first one to say it:  I hate water.  I don’t know if it’s the flavor, or the lack of flavor, but I can’t stand plain ‘ole water.  I’ve found ways around it, though, so if you’re like me, you can get your daily water supply without having to choke it down.  I use those individual flavor packets that you can add to bottles of water.  Crystal Light, Propel, Kool-Aid and other drink companies have jumped on the flavored, bottled water bandwagon, so they come in a wide variety of flavors.  I generally try to stick to the sugar free ones because otherwise it kind of defeats the purpose.  Crystal Light has created flavors that add other benefits, such as immune building properties.  There are white tea, green tea, and red tea flavors, ones that utilize the benefits of pomegranate, and countless other varieties.  I also order water instead of pop when I go out to dinner, but I always request lemon with it.  The lemon adds a light, refreshing flavor and makes me forget I’m drinking water.  Besides, the cost of soft drinks at restaurants is always on the rise.  If you’re going to pay for an expensive meal, why should your beverage cost be a factor?  If you don’t take advantage of the free refills, it’s hardly worth it.  But if you do, you’re adding unnecessary calories that you wouldn’t have otherwise consumed.

Learn to Manage Stress

A lot of us eat when we’re depressed, stressed or bored.  What makes it worse is that we don’t even realize we’re doing it…until we feel sick and see the empty pint of ice cream in front of us.  There’s nothing wrong with using food as a stress manager.  But it shouldn’t be the only means of managing your stress.  Again, I believe that a drastic change of habits can lead to a violent reversion to those habits and a higher likelihood of self-destruction.  When you do feel that food is your only release, choose foods that have at least some nutritional value and don’t over-indulge yourself on those foods.  If you love potato chips, try switching to chips that are baked rather than fried, or made with whole grains (like Sunchips), or fried with an oil that contains less fat (like sunflower oil).  If you love candy, try eating fruit instead.  They still contain the sugar to calm your craving, but that sugar is healthier because it is fructose, not sucrose.  The glycemic index in fruit sugars is considerably lower than in processed cane sugar and so doesn’t contribute to health issues the way cane sugar and corn syrup do.  If possible, try replacing your habit of food indulgence with a completely different method of coping.  If you eat because you’re bored, finding something to fill the time usually spent eating will result in a healthier lifestyle.  Find a new hobby, or rediscover an old one.  Go for a walk or a bike ride if it’s a nice day.  Read a book.  Try something you’ve never done before. 

There are a multitude of ways to stay in shape; it just requires a little creativity to come up with something that helps motivate you.  These are just a few tips to give you a starting point.  I hope you’re able to take one of my suggestions and individualize it to your specific needs.