/Obstacle course

Obstacle course

By Laurie Sweig

We’ve been stuck at home for a long time now. Somehow over the past year the extra time we got back from not travelling to and from work has been sucked right into our work day. Everyone I talk to is saying the same thing – they are so busy that they don’t have time to workout. Sadly, the results are sore/stiff bodies and weight gain.

I understand how difficult it is to break away for exercise. It takes effort to change into the right clothing and get out the door or into the home gym [or designated workout area]. It’s a big shift to make mentally when the focus is to get one more thing checked off the list before the end of the day.
The thing is, any amount of physical activity counts towards maintaining or improving our health. It doesn’t have to be done in a gym, or with specific equipment. It doesn’t even have to be done all at once. If we shift our thinking around, then we can find ways to incorporate fitness into our daily lives – no matter how demanding the work schedule is. I feel the best way to do that is to put stuff in our way, thus creating an obstacle course that we have to move around on the way to the kitchen, the washroom or anywhere else we may go in the home. Here are some ideas:

• Put a yoga mat or a towel on the floor in a doorway you have to pass through and then stop on it and do some push-ups or burpees.
• Place furniture in places where you have to walk around it. If it’s small enough, step over it. The cool thing about this idea is that if you set it up in the morning and put everything back at the end of the day you’ll be adding even more movement to your daily routine.
• If you have weights put them by the stairs so you can pick them up and take them up and down those stairs with you.
• Put some of the things you need [documents, pens, paperclips, etc.] on the floor instead of within arms reach.
• When you leave your desk, for whatever reason, move your chair to another part of the room. You could do that with your keyboard or mouse if it’s wireless. Just remember where you put them.

Those are just a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Any and all movement counts. That’s the rule. Make it impossible not to get anywhere with extra steps or hops or stretches. That way you’re guaranteed a few extra physical challenges in your day.
Something to think about.

Laurie Sweig is a certified personal fitness trainer and spinning instructor. She owns and operates The Point for Fitness. She can be reached at laurie@thepointforfitness.com.