2 Birds 1 Stone: Multitasking While You Exercise

We talked last week about the plague of the busy schedule and it’s affects on our good intentions to exercise as often as needed. My favorite way to “make” time for my workouts is to make that 45 minutes of workout time, every day, extra productive. I love to read. I also enjoy watching my favorite TV programs and movies. But, instead of sitting on my duff for hours each week to do those things that I enjoy, I do them while I exercise.
With the invention of the IPod products, the possibilities of entertainment and productivity while you exercise are seemingly limitless! Here are a few of the latest audio books, podcasts, and movies I have watched and listened to during my workouts:

Spanish Lessons (Free podcast from CoffebreakSpanish.com) – 15-30 minute weeklylessons Daily News Update with NPR - an application I downloaded from ITunes (Free)
"The Five Love Languages of Children" by Dr. Gary Chapman (Audio book purchased on ITunes)
"Breaking Free" - a bible study by Beth Moore (Audio study series purchased on ITunes)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - movie (Rented and downloaded from ITunes, viewed directly on my Iphone)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can find audio books and podcasts on virtually any subject! Maybe you are a foodie, a techie, or a domestic goddess? Whatever your interests, you will find something perfect for you. I do, literally, 90% of my reading via audio books and podcasts. I simply don’t sit down to watch TV unless it’s a weekend evening and I am snuggled up with my husband and/or kiddos. I realize this may sound crazy to some. Yet, again, we are talking about a shift in accepted thinking patterns. You can’t create more hours in a day, but you can certainly combine activities to become a more efficient and effective person. That’s what each of us should be striving for each day...to become more efficient and effective. If you aren’t growing, then you are regressing! I encourage each of you to try this new approach to your workouts next week. If you don’t have an iPod product, it may take an upfront investment. But, it is completely worth every penny! Life is too short for procrastination! Do something good for yourself today! Hasta luego!

Finding Time to Exercise

You have exactly 24 hours in a day. I wish there were more. Alas, that is all we are given. So, as the old cliché goes, "Make the most of them", right? Absolutely! You may go to work or school; or be responsible for caring for sick family members, aging parents; or have little ones tugging at your pant legs, yet you ultimately decide how much time you will allot for any and all activities in your day. You get to choose exactly how you spend every minute of your day. And, that my friends, is an empowering thought.

It always amazes me how many people say they don't have time to exercise or exercise as often as they would like to. But, it seems like every one of those persons managed to take a shower that day or brush his/her teeth. Indulge me, if you will, and take a look at a couple of our common Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and what would happen if we used the common "No Time" excuse to postpone these ADLs, sometimes indefinitely, like many people do with regular exercise.

Seldom, if ever, have I heard an individual lament over the lack of time he or she has to shower or brush their teeth (unless you are the mother of a newborn...you get a hall pass for that one).

"Oh, I just don't have any extra time to shower...I know I need to...I know it
would be good for me...I'd feel better...But, I am just not going to become one
of those crazed clean freaks who showers EVERY day..That's just too much....I
don’t want to overdo it!"

Sounds utterly ridiculous doesn't it? What would happen if we just couldn’t find the motivation or time to pick up the toothbrush and dental floss? Well, I imagine there would be a lot of romantic relationships decaying from the lack of dental hygiene! I can hear it now,

“Honey, you just don’t seem to enjoy being near me anymore. Is there something
wrong? I brushed my teeth at least once in the past three weeks. Aren’t you
proud of me?”

We have to begin looking at exercise, and its counterpart, healthy nutrition, as ADLs and not recreational activities; fads; or short-term wellness sabbaticals. Hopefully, you now have a different perspective on fitting exercise into your schedule. Next week, I will discuss tips to minimize the challenges of adding exercise or extra workouts to your agenda. I will also share with you how the Prince Family and our extended family at 360 Fitness keep workouts entertaining and fun!