Exercise for the Busy Office Worker

by BA Mike DiMarco - also posted on his personal blog and website.

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

 ~H. Jackson Brown author of “Life’s Little Instruction Book”

Many people struggle with fitting exercise into their daily routines.  “I’d love to exercise, but I don’t have the time,” is a phrase that people often utter.  This phrase drives me crazy.  Ever since I’ve heard the quote at the top of the article, I’ve thought about the phrase “I didn’t have time to do it” as “I didn’t make time to do it.”  Here are some simple ways for busy people to “make time” for exercise and lead a more healthful life.

Incorporate exercise into your commute

Bike to work:  Okay, this one seems like an obvious one, but this is a great way to get some exercise in each day.  Also, with Capital Bikeshare taking hold, this gives an option for people who don’t own a bike and Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has some great tips as well.  Over the past few years, DC has made great strides in becoming more bike-friendly and is turning into one of the best cities for bike commuting (recently ranked #13 in Bicycling Magazine’s top 50 Bike Friendly Cities).  Oftentimes, in the city, it’s faster to bike rather than drive, take Metro, or bus.  On the days that I bike to work, I’m able to leave later than I would if I were driving or taking Metro. 

A common complaint about biking to work is getting sweaty in your work clothes.  One solution to this is to bring a week’s worth of work clothes to the office on Monday, so that you can bike in Tuesday through Friday.  Also, on your way home, you can work in some of these hills to supplement your workout.

Run to work:  What?  I know, it sounds crazy.  But then I tried it one time.  And you know what?  It kind of works.  Find a backpack that fits snugly on your back and bring your work necessities in the bag.  Throw on your running shoes and off you go.  Don’t feel like running to the office?  Take Metro to work and then run home from work (this way it doesn’t matter how sweaty you are). 

Park farther away:  So, you have to drive to work each day.  How about parking in the garage that’s a few blocks away, rather than the one right next to your building?   This way, even if you can’t make your commute into your exercise for the day, you can at least guarantee that you will be doing some walking as part of your daily commute.  Every step adds up.

As part of the work day

Take the stairs:  Instead of taking the elevator, walk a little bit more and take the stairs to and from your office.  Walking up and down stairs is a great workout and helps strengthen your legs, while burning additional calories.  Plus, you can race the people in the elevator and laugh when you get there first.  As another side benefit, you get to avoid the awkwardness of standing in the elevator and hearing all about the guy from the 8^th floor’s doctor appointment.

Go for a walk:  Feeling a little sluggish at your desk?  Take 15 minutes to go for a walk around the block a few times.  Don’t have 15 minutes?  Go for a few 3-5 minute  walks around the block throughout the day.  Don’t have 3-5 minutes?  It may be time to find a new job…

Do some strength work:  You don’t need a fancy gym at your office to do strength work.  Set aside 15 minutes a day to close your office door and do some simple bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats, etc.).  Will this turn you into a bodybuilder?  Of course not.  But at least it will get you moving, burn some calories, and make you feel energized. 

Schedule exercise into your day

We fill our Outlook calendars with staff meetings and the latest Strategic Planning meeting, which are typically of varying degrees of usefulness.  So why does it seem so weird for us to schedule exercise into our days, something that has clear short-term and long-term benefits (try saying that about your last meeting)?  Put the appointment on your calendar and treat it like you would any other meeting—no last-minute canceling. 

Constraints on time may be an obstacle to exercise, but it is not insurmountable.  Every year, there are CEOs of major corporations who make the time to train for Ironmans and other time-intensive fitness training.  

 We want to help you “make time” to exercise.  With Mike at District Fitness you can do just that. Each workout plan is individualized to best meet your needs.  Contact him today for help creating the perfect workout plan to fit exercise into your busy life.