Incidental Exercise

A few months back Bishop Newton and I were discussing our training schedules and he mentioned how he hadn't had the time to workout as much as he would like.  Because he didn't have a lot of extra time he was finding other ways to help himself stay fit.  He referred to this effort as incidental exercise.  The examples he gave were how he tries to park his car the furthest from the door as possible and how he always tries to take the stairs.  

22 floors total (Talk about a stair master)

Simply put, Incidental Exercise is the movements you engage in during your everyday life.  We all have tasks we complete throughout the day that require varying levels of physical exertion.  Most of the time we try to make each task as easy as possible, which is only natural, but to get more out of our everyday routines we should always choose to do them the hard way.  

The nice thing about incidental exercise is that it's really easy to do.  It requires the minimum amount of motivation since you're just adding to the tasks you're already doing.  To help you all get started I've brainstormed a few ideas of how you can incidentally get some exercise while you putter through your day.  

≽ Stand instead of sit whenever possible

≽ Sit on a medicine ball instead of a chair

≽ Walk or ride a bike to school, church, or work

≽ Carry the heavy items when helping people move

≽ Hide the TV remote so you have to get up

≽ Have your washer and dryer on separate floors (This one is for you mom)

≽ Do your own gardening and lawn maintenance instead of hiring out

≽ Walk to the store to pick up the milk

≽ Walk up the escalator instead of lazily standing on it (One of my biggest pet peeves)

≽ Get off Trax one stop early

≽ Take those papers to your coworker instead of using the inter-office mail

≽ Play with your kids instead of just watching them

≽ Walk on a treadmill while reading, watching a show, or playing video games

≽ Do calf raises while waiting at the bus stop

The gardens outside of the Assembly Hall at Temple Square

Hopefully those are enough ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  I'll leave the rest up to you!  Now get out there and start being less lazy than you are right now!  

Remember, progress is the key.   

Foundations of Success

We often forget that exercise is not the only ingredient of a healthy body.  In fact, it's not even the most important.  So all of you who abhor exercise can cheer!  ...but not too loudly because it's still a critical part of staying healthy.

Keeping your mind and body strong and healthy can be tough at times.  Luckily the method is comprised of just three, easy to understand components.

Health Component	Level of Importance
Nutrition	Most
Sleep	Second Most
Exercise	"Least"

Nutrition

I am no dietitian so I won't give any in depth advice, but I will share a few of the basics of a healthy diet.

1. Keep your glucose levels even throughout the day.

Minimizing the spikes in your blood sugar levels can help prevent diabetes, give you more energy, and prevent hunger between meals.

2. Carbs in the morning, protein and fat in the evening.

In the morning you need the energy and later at night your body needs to rebuild and refuel for the next day.

3.Count your calories but don't "cut" them.

Who you are and what your goals are will determine how many calories to have each day.  Figure out your ideal number and then make sure to get close to that.

4. Stick to real food as much as possible.

The more processed food you eat the more junk you put in your system.

5. Eat lean proteins.

Fish, chicken, duck, legumes, beans, nuts, etc.

6. Drink plenty of water.

Water is essential, but if you're training a lot you'll need to include some electrolyte drinks as well.

7. Moderation in all things.

Switch things up every once in a while and don't completely deprive yourself of all the "sweets."

Disclaimer: Picture displays only part of a complete meal.

Sleep

The average adult needs seven to eight hours of good sleep in any given 24 hour period.  Sleep not only helps your body repair itself and boost your immune system, it also improves your learning, memory, and performance.  If you look at the alternative to getting plenty of sleep it doesn't look too pretty.

Negative effects of lack of sleep:

Heart Disease

Depression

Lack of Motivation

Decreased Learning

Aging

Forgetfulness

Weight Gain

Impaired Judgement

From the "Odd Sleeping Positions of Collin" collection.

If you are needing more sleep but finding it hard to get, there are a few things you can do to help. Keep in mind that it may just be that you're too busy.  If that's the case then you'll have to rethink your priorities and figure out what you can nix from your weekly schedule.  If it's not that, then you should try these strategies below.

Improve Sleep:

Routine/Prepare for Bed

Avoid Stress

Quiet Environment

Naps

Consult a Physician

Exercise

This is where you can really get creative, depending on what you're trying to accomplish.  Swimming, biking, running, and weight training are great workouts and very beneficial, but they're not the only ways that one can stay in shape.  You can do anything you want!  Just get up and move, like those cheesy commercials tell you to.  Wii fitness counts, or jazzercise, or even prancercise.  There is no limit to what you can do for a workout.  Including the few I've mentioned, here are some ideas for "out of the ordinary" workouts.

Rollerblading

Water Aerobics

Tumbling

Gymnastics

Ultimate Frisbee

Extreme Dog Walking (aka walking your dog)

Jumping Jacks (aka Side-Straddle Hop or Star Jump for all you Brits)

Kayaking

Hula Hooping

Salsa Dancing

Running Backwards

Trampolining

Just Dance (Video Game)

DDR

Horse Racing (as in you race a horse)

Tai Chi

Parkour

Whatever you do just make sure you get your heart rate up and create some sort of resistance for your muscles.  

And don't forget, "your heart is a muscle" - Carly Rae.