Got 10 Minutes?

10 minute sessions
throughout the day adds up

When you can’t fit in a 60-minute workout, that’s okay. SparkPeople says we need to get rid of the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to exercise. Multiple 10-minute workouts throughout the day can be just as beneficial to our health and our fitness plans. Of course, these multiple 10-minute workouts add up throughout the day, so keep that in mind when you think that 10 minutes just isn’t enough to make any differences.

SparkPeople recommends you follow a similar schedule to the one below for your 10-minute workout:

1-2 minutes – warm up (include stretching)

7 minutes – medium to high-intensity workout

1 minute – cool down (include stretching)

When I know I will not have enough time to do my workout in one session, I like to do some of the following things:

For strength:

+ Use resistance tubes

+ Push-ups

+ Lunges

For cardio:

+ Climb stairs

+ Stationary bike

+ Treadmill

Just remember, every bit counts. 

Keep a clean home AND stay fit – yeah, seriously.

You’re busy, so squeezing exercise into your schedule is tough when you have a full line-up of things to do each day: get the kids to school and to extra-curricular activities, put in a full day of work, make sure dinner is on the table at a certain time and maintain a clean home…among other things.

If your household is anything like mine, sometimes chores are abandoned. This has always been an irritating thing for me because when I get a bit of free time, I feel obligated to catch-up on my household duties. Ultimately this means that instead of getting outside for a walk, I am stuck inside cleaning – yay.

Fortunately for you and me, keeping a clean home and staying fit can work together. Barbara Hagen, Provincial Coordinator for Alberta’s Be Fit for Life Network, said, “Anything that you do that is active is going to increase your health benefits.” Guess what? That can include housework!

Calorie Counter, a free online diet program, suggests a 150 lb person can burn the following amounts of calories (per hour) for each household chore:

+ Vacuuming – 238 calories

+ Scrubbing floors/bathtub – 258 calories

+ Washing the dishes/putting them away – 156 calories

+ Laundry – 156 calories

+ Grocery shopping – 156 calories

+ Gardening – Yes, it will be that time soon! – 272 calories

Also, for all of you stay-at-home moms, carrying a child for an hour can burn up to 204 calories!

So, when you have to choose housework over going for a walk, keep in mind that if you put serious physical effort into your chores, you are still working towards your goal.

Beat Stress

Stress has an incredible hold on our bodies. We all show stress in different ways: upset stomachs, muscle pain and exhaustion. But what might be news is that stress can also hinder an individual’s weight loss efforts. In fact, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology, stress can actually contribute to weight gain.

Medical News Today suggests that one reason this may happen is because when an individual is stressed, he/she may change eating habits – which can ultimately lead to weight gain.

I know you’re all ready very busy, but I encourage you spend time each day doing something to relieve stress. I have made a list of six stress reduction activities for your consideration.  

 

Six ways to relieve stress:

+ Take a walk with a friend

+ Schedule weekly massage sessions

+ Maintain a regular sleep schedule

+ Sing (and dance) along with music

+ Take a vacation

+ Participate on a leisure sports team

Thankfully, exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress, so continue on with your fitness and nutrition plan regardless of how stressed you are at any given time. 

Sleep - Get lots of it.

This is an especially important topic if you are trying to shed pounds. You may be maintaining a proper nutrition plan and exercising regularly, but if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body may not be accepting your most sincere efforts to drop weight.

Michael Thorpy, MD and director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York said, "Sleep loss is associated with striking alterations in hormone levels that regulate the appetite and may be a contributing factor to obesity. Anyone making a commitment to lose weight should probably consider a parallel commitment to getting more sleep."

You’re not getting enough sleep if…

+ You feel as if you need a nap during the day

+ You fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow

+ You easily catch colds &/or have trouble fighting one off

+ You have trouble getting out of bed in the morning

+ You have trouble concentrating

Eight reasons why you may not be getting enough sleep:

+ Interrupted sleep

+ Stress

+ Anxiety

+ Getting to bed too late

+ Exposure to noise

+ Exposure to light

+ Caffeine consumption

+ Alcohol consumption

So, how much sleep do you need?

WebMD suggests that each age category get the following number of hours of sleep each night:

Infants – Approximately 16 hours

Teenagers – Approximately nine hours

Adults – Range between five and ten hours

Don’t let your weight loss efforts go to waste; get plenty of sleep.