A Winning Fitness Strategy for Busy Professionals

You are hyper-busy and struggle to pay attention to physical fitness, let alone read a lengthy article about staying fit. For you busy executives and business owners, here is a quick guide to help you stay on top of your game.

1) Cut out as much junk from your diet as possible!

Make incremental adjustments. For example, you are running late and see the golden arches. Fine.  Grab a burger, skip the fries and perhaps opt for a water.  Even substituting a burger for the fries is better than having the fries!  Diet soda? Skip it. If you must have a soda, drink the non-diet, just get the small.

2) Buy some natural protein bars and keep them in your bag or in your car for a quick meal replacement.

3) Exercise for brief periods of time all throughout the day, even in your business attire.  It adds up!

Suggested exercises to do throughout the day, in 1 to 5 minute increments.

1) Push-ups – drop and do as many as you can.

*Alternative: Desk push-ups.  With hands on the edge of your desk and feet out behind you.

2) Chair dips – With your feet on a chair and your hands behind you on another chair, dip down and back up.

*Alternative: Keep your feet planted on the floor in front of you instead of on a chair, or put your feet up on your desk.

3) Dumbells – keep a set at your office.  You can do curls, tricept extension, shoulder presses and a host of other exercises.

*Vice President of Sales & Marketing at WinWinUSA.com, Joe Urraro, keeps a set of dumbbells in his office.  “In between meetings, when I simply need a quick break, I reach for the dumbbells instead of a snack.  Two to three minutes of curls or presses and I’m good to go.“

4) Calf raises – Stand and raise yourself on your toes. Repeat.  Stabilize yourself by lightly holding onto a wall, desk or chair.

*Alternative: Do this one leg at a time.

5) Crunches/Sit-ups – this one may be tough in a suit, but if you can do it, do it.

6) Skip the elevator or escalator.  Walk. Walk. Walk.

7) First thing in the morning and/or last thing at night:  Simple yoga, simple aerobics (AM only) or simple Qigong.  These are great ways to start and end your day (5-10 minutes. Keep the aerobics in the AM only.)

*R.Roman from R.Roman Photography, “I have a daily goal of a minimum of 5 minutes of Yoga, Aerobics or Qigong first thing in the morning. The low goal removes a mental obstacle from doing it and as I start the routine, it ends up being 10-15 minutes.  There are simple Yoga and Qigong poses and movements anyone can learn with a one-time 20 minute investment. Then whatever exercise I fit in throughout my day is nothing but a bonus.  Yoga and Qigong at night is a tremendous way to unwind and support a good night’s sleep.“

8) Air Squats – Stand. Squat. Repeat.   Tip: Go down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor.  Try to keep your knees from extending over your toes and put your arms out in front of you for balance.

*Alternative: Half Air Squats. Same move but you go down half the distance.

9) Jump up and down for a minute or do Jumping Jacks

10) Windmills – rotate your arms forward like a windmill. Then reverse the motion.

11) Bird flap – This may seem goofy, but close the door and do it.  With your arms stretched out to either side, flap your arms up an down in a controlled, slow manner.

*Tip: Major muscles like the thighs and shoulders expend more energy (read “calories”) than minor muscles like biceps.

There is enough variety in this list to keep you interested and motivated.  Remember, doing something is better than doing nothing, and it is most certainly better than sitting behind your desk or in your car munching on a donut.

Share your strategies in keeping fit while maintaining an insane schedule.

-D.T. (business pro & fitness enthusiast)