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| Fitness |
 Fitness Tips for
Work-At-Home MomsBy Lynn Bode owner of Workouts For You Despite what many may think, being a work from home mom takes a lot of time and work. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “She doesn’t really have a job, she just works from home.” That statement couldn’t be further from the truth! Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first to drop is fitness. When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems to get clean, and children who constantly need something, it’s understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But it shouldn’t. Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. We all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit, but do you also know about the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress, improves sleep, reduces the risk of disease, and helps ward off depression - all that are especially beneficial to entrepreneurs. If that still doesn’t convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina, and ultimately helps you to do continuous work for longer. It all sounds great, right? Still don’t think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape? Don’t worry! Below are some tips to help you get started: •Schedule time for working out. When you work at home, it’s so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this, think of yourself as having a traditional ‘office job’. In most office jobs when you go home for the night you leave work behind. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you. •During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run or walk up and down the stairs. •Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. Find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work. •It’s not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You’ll get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes after work. (Reread above if you just said you have no ‘after work’ time.) •If you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner, and you don’t have to compromise calories as you would if you opted for take-out. •One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office. This saves you travel time, which you can spend grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And if you don’t have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don’t have to worry about looking perfect after your workout! •Invest in a good hands-free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves, such as squats, triceps dips, lunges, and wall push-ups. •Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Don’t forget to keep water on hand and sip some throughout your day. •Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it’s also beneficial to sit on. This will help build your core strength. •Don’t forget the importance of stretching. As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And when you exercise, you also set a great example for your kids. So, to help you, your business and your family, it’s time to stop making excuses and start moving! Lynn Bode, owner of Workouts For You, offers affordable online personal training programs for weight loss, strength training, & nutritional planning. Get a free fitness evaluation at www.workoutsforyou.com or contact info@workoutsforyou.com |