In this series of Home Fitness, we will dig into various aspects of how technology, fitness, and zen intersect.
If you’re like many Americans, you may be struggling to incorporate movement (aka exercise) into your life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 51.7% of adults ages 18 and up actually met the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity whereas just 21.7% of adults ages 18 and up actually met the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity and weight bearing/strength training activity. These numbers show the stark reality that people are not making time for this life-changing and life-affirming activity.
So how can you get motivated to move your body in a manner that honors who you are as a person and your limited time? Read on for three tangible ways to incorporate fitness and health affirming activities into a jam-packed schedule.
Fitness wearables
- Wareable.com did a nice, comprehensive roundup of fitness wearables or trackers. One fitness tracker that was left off the list was the Apple Watch which is the wearable that I sport, no pun intended. I switched over from a Fitbit in Dec 2015 and I have not looked back since. Thus, I feel comfortable sharing why I prefer my Apple Watch to my previous Fitbit. I appreciate that the Apple Watch is an extension of my iPhone 7+. I am able to view text messages, respond to them, utilize Maps and receive all the notifications there. Moving into the fitness realm, I am reminded to stand up once an hour around 50 minutes past the hour if I haven’t moved around during that hour. Another thing I like is that there are a plethora of fitness activities that the Apple Watch tracks and if your activity is not on there, you may select ‘Other.’ Finally, I enjoy how much customization a user can do with their watch face. I have the battery percentage, the temperature, heart rate and the activity monitor on my watch face which reminds me to move my body.
Streaming online classes and apps
- Goop.com provides their thoughts on the best streaming workouts. As a frequent traveler, I know that fitness apps have really helped me stay connected to my fitness goals and for that, I am extremely appreciative. My top three apps and why I love them are:
- Aaptiv, is a subscription service that seeks to bring elevated workouts to you conveniently as if you have your own personal trainer or coach not only teaching you, but supporting you throughout your workout. They have a mélange of different workout along with monthly challenges. This app is available via the Aaptiv website.
- MapMyRun or MapMyWalk help you map out the route for your run or walk, track your activity, log your food and share with your community. This app is available on iOS and Andriod.
- MINDBODY is on this list because it’s a true lifesaver especially when I am on the road. Their website boasts this invitation to use the app: Book your best day. Every day. The app promises to help you find and book the best fitness, wellness and beauty services in your community and wherever you find yourself. This app is available on iOS and Andriod.
Body weight training
I had the opportunity to connect with Manning Sumner, Private strength & conditioning coach, owner of Legacy Fit & Legacy Fit Franchise and founder of No Days Off movement.
“Body weight training can be very effective, using body weight exercises in a circuit style with minimal rest and constant tension on the muscle can produce great results.” Some of his favorite simple yet effective body weight exercises:
- Push ups
- Squats
- Good mornings
- Squat Thrust
- Walk out push ups
- Walking lunges
- Burpees
- Sit ups
- Glute bridges
- Plank variations
Are you ready to start adding fitness to your life? Start by finding an app that will help you move towards your goals of incorporating physical fitness into your life. Next, carve out 20-30 minutes of time 2-3 times a day to add some body weight training or a streaming workout.
If you’d like more accountability, look at the roundup of wearables and pick one to sport! Want to dig in more? Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series!
Let our team know in the comments what you would like to know more about in future installments of this series.
