Working out Wednesday: adding 1000 Cuts to your day

I've mentioned this site before, but I have to mention it again because it's just that good-- The other day I got my subscription to Zen Habits in my inbox, and the post was about the 1000 cuts fitness program. 

Sounds insane right?

Well it's not. It is actually quite simple. The idea is, "you get fit by a thousand little actions" that add up over time.

Squeeze in a walk here, a couple push ups there, climb stairs when you can-- this way, working out isn't necessarily a designated time during the day where you go to the gym, being active is just something you are doing, all of the time.

The beauty about this type of program is, you really have no excuses. And from personal experience I can say, the more active you become, the easier it is to fit designated workouts into your schedule. 

You can read the Zen Habits article here.

I work from home, so some days, by 3 pm I feel sooooo lazy because I have been stuck in the house all day in front of the computer/canvas. When your blood is turning into sludge because you haven't moved all day, it is REALLY easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym.

Incorporating spurts of activity into my day has not only helped me shed the LBS with more ease, it keeps me motivated to hit the gym or turn on P90x every day. I was actually starting to do some of this stuff BEFORE the article popped up in my inbox, but since reading the article, I have doubled what I am now calling "The Calorie be gone games"

Here are some fun ways I have been fitting the Calorie Be Gone games into my schedule:

-When I talk to my sister on the phone (which happens every morning), I climb up and down the stairs a few times.

-When I talk to my mother, I go for a walk around the lake/complex.

-While I am waiting for R to lock up the apartment, and I am by the car, I do a few cartwheels in the grass (if I am wearing pants of course).

-I do 25 jumping-jacks every time Janelle on Teen Mom II says she can't quit smoking pot and every time Elisabeth Hasselback says something ultra-conservative/annoying on the view. (If I can even get through the show in general, ugh, it's so bad-- except for Whoopie, she is the best)

{I am also going to create a game for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, ya know.. its like a college drinking game with jumping jacks!}

-I skip to the mail box, and if someone is looking I just start running. (This is awkward, but funny)

-I work standing up as often as possible, and when I watch TV I don't sit down unless it is after dinner.
(Yes sometimes I find myself just standing in front of the TV like a nimrod)

-I do a few bicep curls every time I walk past my 5lb weights, while I am in the closet deciding what to wear for the day or if I am on the phone with a client.

-If I am hungry, I drink a ton of water, do a few JJ's or push ups, and then decide how hungry I actually am. (This by far helping the most, I am eating so much less by filling my belly with tons of water first)

and last but not least...
 
-R and I started walking or playing tennis after dinner on the nights that we skip the gym. (We're so European now)

I realize that since I work from home I have some flexibility, but that is not an excuse for the rest of you.. Most folks get two 15 minute breaks and a lunch when they are at work, so instead of going to the break room for a doughnut, go for a walk around the parking lot. Use the bathroom on a different floor and use the stairs. Stand up at work (Some offices can raise your desk-- Rob stands up at work) Just quit making excuses and find a way to get your ass moving!

Now, I am not saying that doing little things like this is going to cause the LBS to fly off, but I am saying, every calorie burned gets you one step closer to saying bye-bye to those extra LBS.

I personally have to work out, like hard, everyday. I call it "getting the evil out." Even knowing that working out will keep my depression & bipolar disorder under control, getting to the gym or turning on P90x can seem like an impossible task if I've been inactive all day.

The best part is, ever since I started to REALLY add 1000 cuts to my daily routine, I am even more motivated to hit the gym, or kick some ass with P90x guy.

It's Newtons Law simplified, "a body in motion, stays in motion."

You can't argue with SCIENCE! (Well, I am sure some of you would like to, but that's okay)


....and as promised, a Cat picture!

Baby Bart!

Happy work outs, Happy Cat month and Namaste!

R

(Yes I know, I am a weirdo, so what)

PS. If you missed it earlier, and have no idea why I am posting a pic of a cat on a Working out Wednesday post, or why I wished you a happy cat month, just click here to see what I am talking about, this post also has info on how you can feature YOUR blog here on TMBTP. :)