There is A LOT going on in life and people need health and fitness more than ever!
This is why I’ve created a few simple fitness tips for busy people like us!
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about the Pareto principle, focus, and setting priorities. As mentioned then, for long term success, your health needs to be a priority.
Today we dive into some effective ways to put that into practice with several fitness fixes.
Between family time, kids activities, work, travel, hobbies, and all of the other tasks that seem to pile up on a day to day basis, you might think that staying healthy and fit is “too hard”.
It’s not. In fact, I can guarantee that I “workout” less than most people who go to the gym, yet I typically get better results.
This is because I’ve figured out a few simple truths. It’s the basis of what I teach my coaching clients! Here is a summary of my simple fitness tips for busy people:
- Success in any area of life comes down to this…You must BE the person who DOES the things needed to GET the results you desire!
- FUN and enjoyment must be part of the equation for long term success. Find a way to enjoy moving your body that takes you closer to your goals (sometimes finding enjoyment involves changing your mindset)
- Fitness is a mindset about life. It’s NOT about “Getting to the gym”
- Small, simple, daily habits practiced consistently over time are much better than ass-kicking random workouts
- Movement quality is King! Without it, you are a recipe for injury and frustration
Let’s unpack these a little…
Part 1: MINDSET
I’ve talked about the BE/DO/HAVE principle before. It involves changing your mindset so you can consistently do the things necessary to get the results you want.
Fitness is a mindset about life that goes far beyond the gym. It’s about seeing yourself as a fit person. Fit people see movement and physical activity as part of their DNA. It permeates all areas of life.
Why take the elevator when you can walk to the top and feel great? Have to walk for 10 minutes to get somewhere? Awesome, now I can enjoy the fresh air, move my body, and feel great! While I’m walking up the escalator, being mindful of my body alignment helps improve my hiking skills for the winter hike I’m taking with my kids this weekend.
These are merely examples of how a fit person thinks. Everyone is slightly different, but the concept is the same. The movement spectrum is part of everyday life.
By starting to think this way, you will find yourself doing things that fit people do. Then, when you do this consistently you will begin experiencing the physical, mental, social, and health benefits that fit people enjoy every day.
In order to get to this point, we must first set our expectations around health and fitness. One of the best fitness tips is for people to stop saying they are BUSY!
We have as much going on as we choose to have. Having a full schedule, including health and fitness, doesn’t mean we need to be “busy”!
So, what do you want to accomplish?
Think about it. Write it down.
Next, it’s important to figure out WHY you want to accomplish these things.
- Are they REALLY important to you?
- Do the reasons get you fired up emotionally?
- Are they in line with your purpose and core values?
- Are they realistic based on your current life situation and past performance?
If the answer is NO, it’s time to revise and update your expectations, timeline, goals, or the entire plan.
If the answer is YES…get moving and make it happen!
Part 2: HABITS (Git ‘er Done!)
Once you’ve dialed in what you want, why you want it, creating the emotional connection to accomplishing your objective, we make it happen through our daily actions.
I’ve talked at length about the various “Success Habits” we need to have in place
This includes an effective and efficient:
- Morning Routine
- Evening Routine
- Focus Finder and Energy Accelerator habits throughout the day
- Schedule and plan that includes Process goals and Outcome goals
Many people say, “that’s great Tim. I understand the concept, but how do I actually put it into place? Can you give me some examples?
Here you go!
Simple tips and examples for creating a healthy, efficient, and effective fitness routine
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
- Take 2 minutes right NOW and book 15 minutes into each morning or evening (your choice)
- Pull out your phone and say “Hey Siri, remind me every hour to “stand and stretch”
- Once booked, make it non-negotiable. You wouldn’t miss the dentist, would you?
- If something comes up, reschedule it THAT DAY! Do not go to bed until you’ve completed it.
SHORT & FOCUSSED
Notice how I said 15 minutes instead of an hour? You are much more likely to get 15 minutes done. For some clients, I start out with 1 minute and move up from there, but 15 minutes is a good place to start for most people.
I don’t care how packed your schedule is, taking 15 minutes to move your body is one of the simplest and most effective fitness tips out there for people like you who have a lot on the go!
It’s OK to skip the gym. Too many people spend 90% of their time getting to and from the gym, changing, preparing, setting up their music, thinking about what they are going to do, and then a minuscule amount of time actually doing anything.
Movement and exercise don’t require anything fancy. Just your body and the will to move it (we sorted that out in part 1).
WHAT TO DO
- Mobility Minute™
- At Wake up, regular intervals throughout the day, and before bed
- Take every joint in your body through its full range of motion (head to toes)
- Sample Movement Session #1
- Bodyweight squats
- Push-ups
- Back Lunge to 1-leg balance
- Down Dog Push-ups
- Flying Superman
- Sample Movement Session #2
- Side Shuffle “Air Touches”
- Bent-Over Backpack Lateral Fly’s (or Split Row)
- Backpack Burpees
- 1-Leg SLDL
- Supine Windshield Wipers
- Even 15-30 seconds of each for 1 round is helpful. Extend the time and/or rounds for more challenges and results.
- Of course, do everything correctly!
Test out these fitness tips for your busy schedule and let me know what you think!
If you aren’t sure you are moving correctly, let’s set up a session or video call to make sure! You can email me or DM me on Instagram or Facebook @freshfitcalgary
Have Fun Moving Today!
Tim Borys
CEO
FRESH! Wellness Group
