Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Balancing acts

Do you live a balanced life? I do, when all of the stars are aligned. But when there's a star out of place, watch out world!

We all have a lot to balance everyday from work, school, family, friends, fitness, nutrition, errands...you name it. When your schedule gets out of sync because of a sick kid, a broken down car, bad weather, a long day at school or work, an unexpected errand or favor, what's the first thing to go?

When my days got out of whack, my workouts used to be the first thing cut from my to-do list. I was an "all or nothing" kind of girl in terms of my fitness. But no longer. If I don't have the time to go to the gym or to complete my entire workout, I look for ways to modify.

Here are some of the things I do:

  • Take a couple of trips up and down the stairs
  • Complete a few body weight circuits (Like: Push ups, squats, tricep dips, planks, forward and reverse lunges)
  • Work in a shorter session in my home gym (consisting of light weights, a spinning bike, and pull up bar)
  • Go for a walk or bike ride
  • Workout to a DVD
What do you do?

I am a firm believer that on a busy day, or any day for that matter, that it is OK to make time to take care of yourself. Be selfish. Be creative. A healthier you will make you a better employee, student, friend, spouse, or parent (or maybe even all of the above).

The next time you find yourself too busy to workout, plan ahead and move from all or nothing to all or something.

"To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -Einstein.

7 comments:

Anonymous 7:15 AM, September 08, 2009  

So true girl I use to be an all or nothing workout person too. Now I always try to get a little something in. Thank you for the post!

kira 7:21 AM, September 08, 2009  

I either go for a short run or do squats and deadlifts with a sandbag ... both are a great cure for excessive computer time :)

Melissa 9:46 AM, September 08, 2009  

As a fitness instructor, I find that there are people who make working out a priority - no matter what. And when the going gets tough, they'll still work it in to their schedule - in some way, shape or form. Then, there are the people who look for any excuse to opt out of working out. It's too cold, too dark, too humid, too rainy, too windy - you name it. It is very hard to try to get those people to convert.

Robin 11:35 AM, September 08, 2009  

true words.

Yum Yucky 1:02 PM, September 08, 2009  

This reminds me of the other day when all I could do was a hi-lo march in place because Baby was on the floor crawling all around me.

Hey! It worked out just fine.

Joanna - What a coincidence that you're talking balancing living today! LOL

Joanna Sutter, www.fitnessandspice.com 8:12 PM, September 08, 2009  

Melissa,

You are so right! Healthy living is a way of life for a lot of us.

Getting people to convert takes time, little victories (like experiencing more energy, more confidence, better fitting close, etc) and just sticking with it long enough to make it a habit.

If only God would have just given us all a little less of this free will stuff. ;-) I know some days I could use a shorter leash.

Joanna Sutter, www.fitnessandspice.com 8:16 PM, September 08, 2009  

Erin and Kira,
I love your style!

Yum,
You should write a blog post all about working out w/Baby. Mom & Baby squats, deadlifts, bicep curls, overhead presses, bench presses, etc. With all sorts of safety in mind. But, this is your article, not mine. ;-)

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