It’s that time of year folks! Every year we go through the holidays. Family get-togethers abound. One thing I’ve noticed is that physical activity slows down. This is troublesome from my perspective since it’s been slowing down quite a bit over the years. During the holidays it accelerates and then very slowly picks up after winter. My goal is to help you stay fit by keeping your butt moving.
We know that inaction leads to inertia. The less we do, the lesser we’ll do and eventually we’ll simply do nothing.
It’s important to find some way of keeping fit. Physical movement of any kind counts and the more intense, the better. I realize it’s a challenge right now for you. So what. It is for most of us. When it’s cold out, you’re gonna feel like snuggling up and not moving, except to grab a cup of hot chocolate. As tempting as that sounds, isn’t it more tempting to know that you’re staying fit? Hey, and think about getting outdoors and playing when the other people are not fit enough to do what you do.
Then afterwards, after pushing yourself outdoors, you’ll be able to come in and warm yourself up to something hot. Now that sounds like a plan to me.
I’m going to share with you 3 ways that you can stay fit, even if you don’t have a gym around. In fact, the best ways are outside the gym. As an advocate of bodyweight training, I can assure you that you’ll get so much more out of this process when you simply use what you carry around all the time, your body, to train with.
Here are those 3 ways to get you going…
- Start out with a walk, transition into a hike and move into a fast run. In a sense, do interval training. Take it outdoors and enjoy the scenery. You can add some side-to-side bounding as you run. I even do this in my neighborhood from time-to-time.
- Use suspension straps. When I first discovered this fitness device, I fell in love with them. I’ve used many different ones, including the TRX. Heck, there are even YouTube videos which show you how to make one (which I did for about $10). This device allows you to use your bodyweight to train in a number of different ways. Plus, it challenges you in ways that you simply can’t do otherwise. I’ve used them indoors and out.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDhDueHYhbE] - Do push-ups, pull-ups (or suspension strap inverse rows) and squats (or lunges). In each of these exercises, make sure to engage your core (abs and glutes). Simply doing these (indoors and out), you’ll work the whole body. You can even do them while watching TV (I prefer listening to music). You can even take 10 minutes 3 times a day to do these. And if you increase the intensity, you’ll get more out of the exercises.
Get yourself moving and stay moving during this holiday season. Get up early and do a morning walk. Add any of the above three to the mix. Have fun, be consistent movement and get others to join in. What you do now will help propel you into the new year fitter, healthier and with more energy!
Cheers,
Bob Choat, “Transformational Master Black Belt” 
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness