8 Easy Ways To Work In A Workout

8 Easy Ways To Work In A Workout

Your clients come to you for individual, personalized training. Some clients train once or twice a week or more, others less frequently. The good news is that time in the gym is not the only means to getting a decent workout.

These 8 tips can be used by just about anyone to turn everyday actions into easy ways to burn calories. These tips can make for a fun and useful handout to give your clients at the end of a session:

1. Vary your commute

Depending on where you live and how far you commute to work, consider walking or biking there on a frequent basis. It’ll take more time built into your schedule, but you’ll rack up tons of steps in the course of a week.

2. Rise earlier

Even if you’re great about scheduling time for the gym, a lot can happen during your day and your plan can be easily foiled. By waking a bit earlier for a quick 5 to 10 minute workout, you’re ensuring yourself that time. Whether it’s an early morning yoga session on TV, a workout DVD or even just five sets of crunches, you’ll feel energized to start the day.

3. Office workout

If you have a job that keeps you up and moving, you’re really one of the lucky ones. But if your job entails sitting at a desk all day there are things you can do to avoid being sedentary all day long.

• Walk it: For starters, park far away from the office door and walk across the parking lot. All those extra steps really do add up. The walk also gives you a few extra minutes to organize your day in your head or make a phone call.
• Take the stairs: Unless you’re loaded down with bags or boxes that would make it unsafe or difficult, always take the stairs. These extra steps will help keep your leg and glute muscles toned. And once you make taking the stairs a habit, you won’tthink twice about it.
• Lunch break workout: If your employer gives you access to an on-site gym, resolve to do a power workout at least twice a week. If there’s no gym available,take a brisk walk near your workplace instead. In the midst of a busy day, a quick escape from your surroundings can be quite refreshing, even when it’s hot or cold outside.
• Desk exercises: We know you don’t want to look silly in front of your co-workers, but there are some kinds of equipment that are a bit under-the-radar and can be used during the course of your day.
  • Sit on a stability ball. Also called balance balls or Swiss balls, these workout accessories have proven to be very effective in strengthening the core, building muscle and improving overall balance and coordination; and many office workers are using them in lieu of their office chair. Studies involving students who used a stability ball instead of a desk chair reported that the subjects had better focus and concentration.
  • Keep dumbbells or small weights stashed in your desk to pull out when you’re not busy typing or writing. This mini-exercise can be a great during a brainstorming session, too. Firing off several reps of arm curls and other motions will do a lot over the course of time to tone your arm muscles.
  • Same goes with a yoga mat. When 3:00 p.m. rolls around and you’re feeling in the zone, lie on your mat and do a few sets of crunches or push ups. Chances are no one will see you, and if they do, you’ll probably earn yourself some respect for being dedicated to keeping fit.

4. Don’t just sit there

Add in some exercise while you’re enjoying your favorite TV show. Rather than vegging out every time you’re in front of the screen, try adding in some of these motions: stationary movements like push ups, crunches and lunges or slightly more active ones such as jumping jacks, jogging in place or jumping rope are easy to do while still paying attention to your program. The time will fly by as you’re enjoying the show and getting a workout all at once.

5. Housework makes great exercise

Housework must be done and the good news is that you can think of it as a means of getting a workout. We all know that some chores require some real elbow grease. Rather than putting off those tasks, think of them as a great way to get a different kind of workout. Another tip is to see how much cleaning and tidying up you can accomplish in a set amount of time, say, 20 minutes. You’ll likely get more done working to beat the clock, and burn lots of calories in the process. And don’t forget about the yard work. Raking leaves, shoveling snow, mowing and trimming and working in the garden are super beneficial ways to get your heart rate really going.

6. Run errands on foot (or by bike)

Do you live close to the market? Take your cloth shopping bags and make it a walking or biking trip instead of always taking the car. It may not be the ideal way to tackle your bigger shopping trips or when you’re in a hurry, but carrying a few full bags of groceries will give you a great arm workout and you’ll also benefit from the walking. What else is close to home? The bank, dry cleaners, the park or coffee shop? Make travel by foot or bike your method of getting there as often as you can.

7. Make exercise a social affair

Instead of happy hour or a trip to the movies, make a date with friends that includes a fun physical activity. Consider sand volleyball, Frisbee golf, basketball or skating. If you’re even more adventurous, get a group together to form a recreational sports team like softball or soccer. It’s not only great exercise, but you’ll enjoy the change in the social experience.

8. Be young at heart

Last, but not least, what could be easier or more fun than playing with the kids? From tots to teenagers, kids love to be active and they love it more when mom or dad (or grandparents or neighbors or friends) get active with them.  The list of activities to engage in are endless—just check the web for a plethora of great ideas. The benefit is far greater than the physical exercise you get, but it instills by example the value of being active and the joy of spending time together.

These eight tips are just a start. Think about other ideas you can share with your clients to turn an everyday task into a form of exercise.

Offering fitness advice to your clients is part of what you do. It’s also why having your own personal Professional Liability Insurance policy is so important. A personal policy is portable, meaning it covers you for the work you do, no matter where you work or how many times you change jobs. It’s also affordable, allowing you to secure coverage for a few hundred dollars or less each year and have peace of mind that you’re covered should your fitness training ever be found negligent. Learn more about the Professional Liability Insurance for fitness trainers from Lockton Fitness.