Maintaining Fitness

When you’re a busy professional and spend a lot of time at your desk, it can be difficult to stay fit with your crazy schedule. You worked hard to get in shape, though, so don’t let it slip away without a fight! There are dozens of ways that you can maintain your fitness level without requiring a large investment time every single day. Studies from leading scientists now show that short workouts throughout the day are just as powerful for the body as one long workout, so don’t feel guilty about not being able to spend a full hour or even 45 minutes working on your body. Appreciate the time that you have and maximize it for the best results.

If your company is one of the enlightened few in America that offer fitness facilities on site, you’ve got a major advantage. Check the facilities out and note the machines you would be interested in. Talk to the employees who manage the fitness center and find out when the busiest time of day is so that you can avoid it. Many times that magic time is between 9-11AM and 1-3PM. It can be difficult to maneuver a workout in during those hours, but remember, it doesn’t have to be long and drawn-out. Visit the weight room for ten minutes twice a day and you will be able to maintain the muscle you’ve built up over time. If possible, fit in a 15-20-minute aerobic workout at the end of the day before you head home. Figure out what will work best for you and then commit to it. With a time commitment of less than three hours of every week you can maintain your fitness without sacrificing your professional life.

For those who aren’t so fortunate to have exercise centers available at work, there are other ways to get around that. Invest in some smart fitness equipment to keep at the office and set your computer to remind you when it’s time for a brief 5-minute workout. Hand weights, yoga mats, resistance bands, and other accessories are perfect for the office, and can be stored without taking up too much room. Plan to have at least four 5-minute exercise segments throughout the day. Scheduling a 5-minute workout around the 3 o’clock snack time can help you avoid the calorie-laden pitfalls of the snack-room while keeping your fitness level up. For aerobic workouts, try taking four flights of stairs for a brief, intense workout that calls on a lot of muscle to work hard in a short period of time. If you can walk around your company’s parking lot, power-walk for ten minutes using your arms to boost heart rate. For some people a jump rope can be a great tool that allows them to burn fast calories with only a three minute investment of time. That doesn’t work for everyone, since jumping rope can be hard on joints and difficult to do within the office, but if it works for you, go for it.

Make a point of sticking to your fitness schedule. Co-workers may find it amusing but you’re the one with the great body! You may want to consider forming an office fitness group that could support and encourage each other during the work day or even present a request to upper management for a more fitness-friendly environment at work. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of having employees who are healthy and fit, and as a result of that some are installing fitness facilities, signing deals with local gyms for employee usage, and rewarding employees that demonstrate commitment to personal health and fitness. Find out what your company’s policy is on employee fitness and make it work for you!

While you may not be able to fit in as much exercise as you would, you can still get enough intense movement into your day to maintain your fitness level. Stay committed and encouraged; you made the original effort to get your body into shape and that is too valuable a commitment to allow it to go to waste. Figure out what works best for you during the workday and then do it! Your body will thank you!

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YOGA & MEDITATION

 

Experts all over the world agree that yoga helps calm the body and mind leading to a sense of wellness that cannot be achieved through conventional exercise programs.

 

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Vote in This Week's Poll: Should obese teens get gastric bypass surgery?.

Weight problems in kids and teens is something everyone seems to be talking about these days and it's not surprising with some of the scary statistics being quoted. Some estimates suggest that more than 5 million teens were obese in 2004 and there's no doubt that number has only grown in the last few years.

The questions is, what is the solution? We've focused much our attention on lifestyle changes like getting more exercise and eating healthier foods, but some experts are wondering if bariatric surgery might be the answer for severely obese teens.

In a study published in JAMA, researchers conducted a trial with 50 teens between 14 and 18 years old, each with a BMI higher than 35. The teens were assigned to either a lifestyle intervention program or gastric banding surgery and then followed for 2 years. The results? After the surgery, 84% of the gastric banding group lost 50% of their excess weight while only 12% of the lifestyle group did so. After 2 years, the gastric banding group lost an average of 76 pounds while the lifestyle group lost 6.6 pounds. They also showed better health and quality of life compared to those in the lifestyle intervention.

Other studies have shown that gastric bypass may also help morbidly obese teens reverse type 2 diabetes, but should we be resorting to surgery?

There are obviously many questions that crop up with this issue, including the risk of surgery, safety and the ability of teens to regulate their eating after the surgery, something many adults have difficulty doing.

So, what do you think? If your teen were severely obese, would you consider bariatric surgery? Should this be an option? Vote in this week's poll and tell us what you think about teens and gastric bypass surgery.

More about weight loss for teens and childhood obesity.

Vote in This Week's Poll: Should obese teens get gastric bypass surgery? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 05:00:27.

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Vote in This Week's Poll: How much exercise variety do you have?.

After working with personal training clients in their homes for the last few years, I've noticed a common issue: Many of them were doing the same workouts for months or even years. That's not surprising, considering that most of us are creatures of habit and, once we find something we like and that seems to be working, why would we want to change that?

The problem is that, when it comes to exercise, whatever you're doing will eventually stop working (if your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight) as your body adapts to it. And that's usually the moment clients call me because they can't figure out what to do.

They're often surprised to learn that small changes can make a difference and most of them are relieved when they free themselves from the old routine in favor of something new and fresh. I had one client who'd been walking on her treadmill every day at the same speed and incline, for the same amount of time. When I started her on Cardio Coach workouts, she said, "I know I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but it never occurred to me to change my workouts. I'm actually enjoying my treadmill for the first time in years!"

What about you? Are you a creature of habit or do you change things up on a regular basis? How much variety do you have in your workout routine? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment to tell us your thoughts on exercise variety and how important you think that is when it comes to adhering to your program.

Vote in This Week's Poll: How much exercise variety do you have? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 05:00:36.

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