The Secret Recipe to Working Out... Inside
Lila Ojeda, MS, RD, LD, CSCS
Owner of LO Solutions in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Complete Nutrition Services
Personal Training & Pilates
As a dietitian, I’m used to sharing my delicious food recipes with clients. However, as a personal trainer and certified Pilates instructor, I also enjoy sharing the best kept secrets on how to stay active throughout every season. As the lights start to dim earlier than we’re used to, it’s time to figure out how to bring your workout indoors.
If your first thought is, “Well, I don’t have time to exercise anyways!”, then change your mindset right now! No one has “free” time these days so it’s time to plan it into your day, just as you would any other important priority or meeting. How do I do it with a very full schedule? Well, I take short walk breaks whenever I can throughout my day and I monitor my steps with one of the best pedometers around. The NL-1000 activity monitor not only counts steps, but it also knows your total activity minutes because the accelerometer component knows when I’m walking hard and fast. So, you can choose a step or minute goal, or both. You can find my favorite pedometer at: http://www.thepedometercompany.com/pedometers.html. I also plan my day around my workout, whether it is scheduling my favorite yoga class or workout date with a friend, it’s in my planner and I cannot book over it unless it’s an emergency. Yes, even I must put it right in my planner just like any other appointment and stick to it or it won’t get done. So, now that it’s in your planner, how do you continue to workout and bring your workout indoors when all you want to do is head straight home after work and hibernate? Here are some ideas to keep you moving this fall and winter.
First, try to be active while it’s still light outside:
• On those clear days, take two 15 minute walk breaks outside instead of coffee/talk breaks.
• If you’re at home, run errands by foot as much as you can. TIP: If errands are all within a mile of each other, park your car in one spot and do them all on foot.
• If you’re done with work or school before its dark, take a walk before you even step foot inside your house and are tempted to sit down. For example, if you ride the bus, you can work this in by walking to a further bus stop, or getting off several stops earlier.
• Remember, every bit of activity counts, especially if you walk briskly.
Second, bring it indoors by:
• Going to a gym: Now’s the opportunity to take that group class you’ve been wanting to try. Remember to schedule it and here’s a tip: keep your gym bag in the car and drive straight there after work. Plan ahead and keep a healthy snack in your gym bag (e.g., protein bar or almonds) to you make it through your workout with enough energy.
• Meet a friend: Make a workout date to meet a friend either at the gym or at a class so you have to be there.
• Take an active, fun class: Hate gyms? Sign up for a class instead: dance, yoga, martial arts….there are adult classes offered at almost any studio. Make sure you enjoy it!
• Exercise at home: Here’s how:
- Buy exercise videos you like or always wanted to try such as hip hop, boxing, Pilates, yoga, etc. This can inspire you and give you the confidence to try a similar class at your gym.
- Get on that treadmill and stop using it as a clothes rack! Put it in front of the TV so you can watch and walk. Prerecord your shows and watch them while you move.
- Invest in a certified personal trainer and have them develop a personalized “At Home Workout Plan” for you. I have developed workouts for my clients to do either at home or on the road in hotel rooms. You don’t need much equipment for an at home workout; just some light weights, ball, a small space to do it in and of course motivation! Make sure you hire a reputable personal trainer to help you do this. The trainer will let you know what and where to purchase your equipment.
- Have a certified personal trainer come to your house frequently or even just once/month to keep you motivated and keep your body guessing with new exercises.
Want to watch TV and workout? Here’s how:
During one 30 minute program, there can be as many as 10 minute of commercials.
During the commercials do:
• Push-ups: modify as needed! Do them on your knees or standing up against a walk. Work up to feet push-ups and do sets of 5-15, resting 30-60 seconds in between sets.
• Squats: use a chair as a guide. You can sit down to start with; then progress to not sitting at all. Do as many as you can in one commercial break.
• Jump rope, march in place, or step up and down continuously on a small stool. One to two minutes of jump roping can be quite a good workout!
• Sit ups: do center and side crunches. Look at fitness magazines to get an idea of proper form, and try different exercises.
• Stretch: Buy a yoga or foam mat and do 1-3 different stretches at each commercial break. Hold each stretch for ~30 seconds, don’t bounce, and go to your limit. Make it count but do not go until it hurts.
• Yoga: If you’re familiar with yoga, do 2-3 different poses at each break such as downward dog, upward dog, or different warrior poses. Start with a beginner video tape to learn some of the basic poses.
• Pilates: Start with a video tape or class here as well and then choose some exercises to do at the break. Keep moving throughout the entire break but switch up the exercises.
• Lift Weights: Buy light weights and do different exercises such as bicep curls, overhead presses, tricep kickbacks, etc. Look at magazines, invest in a personal trainer, or buy a basic weight lifting book.
TIP: You’ll be amazed at how good you will feel by just doing a few things on the commercial breaks. You might even surprise yourself and do more than you anticipated once that motivation kicks in!
REMEMBER:
• Always consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.
• Invest in a personal trainer for additional help. A few known reputable certifications include: CSCS, NSCA-PT, ACSM, ACE and IDEA.
• If something hurts, stop!
• Breathe at all times. Never hold your breath, which can make the exercise harder and maybe even make you pass out.
• Use a mirror to see if your form looks correct.
• Do all exercise slow and controlled. If you’re lifting weights remember: 2-3 counts up and 2-3 counts down!
• Invest in seeing a Registered Dietitian in your area (www.eatright.org) to help coordinate healthy, delicious meals and snacks around your workout plan!
Bottom Line: Every bit of activity counts! You don’t have to do it all at once. You can do three 10 minute increments per day instead of 30 minutes all at once. Just be mindful of what you’re doing and why and make it count every time. Most importantly, make a plan by writing it down or telling someone else and stick to it!