Best Health Boosters for Busy People - Page 2
Better yet, get your workout and your commute done at the same time by riding your bike or walking to work and back. Right, like that'll work on a cold Canadian day. Okay, commute with a buddy and stop at the gym -- both of you.
Make a to-do list. Takes a minute; saves you far more than that. Creating a clear game plan for what you want to (realistically) accomplish helps you attack your day, so you don't get bogged down in unimportant details that eat up your time. The payoff: less stress and more time to enjoy the coffee you just poured. Here are a few tricks for getting through your to-do list.
Create a new elevator ritual. If you can't take the stairs, use elevator time to lower your stress -- which also happens to lower your risk of accidents, infections, and arterial aging (not to mention it will dramatically reduce the likelihood that you'll bite off the head of the next person who talks to you). Simply use the time between floors to take stress-busting deep breaths: Take about five counts to inhale and seven to exhale from your belly. Let go of stress and fight off wrinkles with this breathing exercise.
Wake up and firm up. Rescue yourself from a midmeeting snooze by working on your abdominal strength. Just suck your belly button in tight. Then, squeeze your butt as if you're trying to pull on a pair of too-tight jeans, and pretend your head is being pulled toward the ceiling by a string. Hold that position. Nobody will know anything other than you look far more alert than they do. Watch this video for an easy workout you can do almost anywhere there is a chair.
Demand great entertainment. Don't fizz out in front of the TV unless what you're watching really warrants your attention. Turning it off 10 minutes into something that's just not trying hard enough gives you 20 extra minutes to walk, to pull some healthy recipes from the Web, to put together a new playlist for your walk, or even to shop for a smaller belt online. Or, yes, to make time for between-the-sheets fun. C'mon, it doesn't take that much time, and it definitely facilitates a healthy relationship, which makes everything go more smoothly when you're not in bed.
