Day: October 25, 2019

Categories
Running

What is the best time for you to RUN

Does it ever strike to you? Did you ever ask this question to yourself?

I mean you would have if you are a person like me. I am a full-time employee. This means that I have a work-life. A very sedentary work life. It also means that I spend most of my day at work sitting. I have a desk job where I work on my desktop.

I realized pretty early in my life that I didn’t want to end up like a person with a Belly. Although I was not a child who took care of his looks, I became conscious of my looks during my college days. And I was lucky to discover almost at the same time that looks are not just your face cuts and color of your skin. It has a lot to do with your height and weight.

To ward of getting fat, I made sure that I cultivate some good habits. I am a voracious reader. I read plenty. I have learned and educated my self through reading. I have a diverse educational background. But, that’s for another day. Here, I want you to learn that I prefer to read what I want to learn or the skill I want to pick up. So, when it came to learning about physique and how to maintain a good one, I took to reading books and magazines.

Back in those days, the internet was not big. We had to shell out a handsome amount to browse 2g at a cyber-cafe. Books were my only resort. I went to a book store and browsed through the books and found this one: Pumping IRON. This is a bodybuilding book that I have in my possession even today. I love this book for its weight and glossy pics.

So, I was telling you about the best time to run. And I got carried away. If you are still with me, let’s get back. I had read enough by the age of 21 to convince me that Exercise is the best thing I could do to maintain my looks in life. And as I was not born a Greek God, I knew that I can’t score on looks. But, I can certainly do something about my body shape and the mindset.

The first job that I started my career was a job that entailed working in shifts. So, no matter how much I knew about fitness and exercise and their great benefits, I knew it was not going to be a cakewalk.

I have learned a lot about health and fitness. But there is one thing that I wan to tell you for sure. No matter how much knowledge you possess, if you are not applying, it is of ZERO value to YOU. So, I tried to do what I could in the existing circumstances.

To my pleasant surprise, I found that my office had a GYM. And the GYM had 3 treadmills. Even more comforting was the fact that no one was utilizing the GYM facility. I would go there and spend my time. I started to use treadmill for the first time for walking. I enjoyed walking on the treadmill.

I noticed (mind it, that time I was not doing any research or had anything intelligent to talk about fitness) that it gave me relief from my highly stressful job of a call center. I would simply climb on the treadmill and keep walking. I remember that it took me 35 minutes to finish a total distance of 3 km. Today, I run close to 7 km in the same time.

This way, I started to run at 23 years on a treadmill. Treadmills were the first GYM equipment that I had ever used. And I loved it so much. So, if you are a person like me, I highly recommend that you go to a GYM where you have a treadmill or get one for yourself on which you can do running, walking, etc.

GRadually, Running became mu go-to remedy to handle the work-related stress. I would go during the breaks or when my days used to get over. I have done all sorts of night shifts, morning shits, and other such awkward shifts. But, I made sure that I lent help to my daily struggle of fighting the odds and coming out victorious.

The only thing that kept me going during the dark hours at work was my running. I would spend 35 to 40 minutes on the treadmill and I would do fine soon after. This was the remedy I have found my self and nature. My running was so particular that there have been days, where I would come back from my night shift and 5:30 am and go for a morning run at 8:00 am.

….more to come, here.

Categories
Quick Fitness Tips

Use your Office Hours to get moving

I work in a way that compels me to be seated for long hours throughout the day. An average day of sitting for me is 7 hours. It means that I am seated for most of my awake time. Now add to it the sleep time of 7 hours that you need to take essentially. This brings the tally to 14 hours. Add to it the time that you spend in Car driving, Eating meals on tables, watching TV sitting on your sofa. Roughly you take all this for 2 hours. This way, you are sitting or sedentary for almost 66% of your 24 hours. I have not added the traveling time in Bus, Metro, etc.

So, this way, I can say for sure that white-collar workers like me are spending more than 50% of their lives simply sitting. This is very dangerous for your well-being. You must realize this ASAP and do something to get moving.

All you need to do is find out ways to start getting the moves. So, in this post, I will tell you 5 ways that you can keep away from sitting.

Number 1: Take short breaks: I don’t sit in my chair for more than one hour at a stretch. I make sure that I take short breaks and move around.

Let me tell you a small story from my life here. I noticed that my canteen boy was who is almost my age is fitter than me. Our canteen boys get the advantage of moving. He would get all the things done by moving. Even for a simple task like taking out a file from the almirah that’s just behind my chair, I used to ring the bell.

I have stopped doing that. I get up and go to fetch my file. I use this kind of opportunity to go around the office premises more often. This way even my staff if vigilant that the boss is on round!

So, use small opportunities to do the things that you can yourself. Like going to the coffee machine or water cooler.

Number 2: TAKE STAIRS: If you are working in a office that is located in a multi-storeyed building, please use stairs. Here you have a wonderful opportunity to give your body the magic of the move-ment. You can do this right! Make sure that you have enough time to go through the stairs and reach the office.

Maybe your office is on the 20th floor and it may be too tedious to do it right at the beginning of the day. You can choose to do 10 floors and take the list from the 10th to your office floor. You can do the remaining 10 in the evening. Howzaatt!!

Number 3: Drink plenty of wateR: Ha, Ha. Drinking plenty of water is going to keep you hydrated throughout the day. It has got multiple benefits for your body. The one spillover would be that you would be frequenting the washroom more often. Sometimes forcibly. But, you will move and give your body moving time.

I have shot down two challenges with just one bullet. I keep a water-filled bottle in front of me. Keeping yourself hydrated is very important for you in the normal course.

Number 4: GREET PEOPLE AT THEIR DESKS: Go and pay your regards to your colleagues at their workstations. This way, you not only get moving but also make sure that you have your dose of move-ment. People would love you for doing that. Even if you are a boss, you will see the rise in your respect among your staff members. Let them not have all the action, you become the moving guy and make your best move!

I do this all the time. And most of the time, I have noticed that they are more than obligated to stand up and greet me. You see, how killing our ego can get us healthy.

Number 5: LIFT YOU LEGS: Last but not least, I am going to tell you the most effective way to give your body a little jerk and the body the blood circulation. Whenever you want, you can lift your legs sitting on your chair. Bring them 4-5 inches above the ground and lower them back. You can repeat this exercise several times a day. It’s all up to you. Initially, you may not be able to do it easily. But with time, you will turn into a leg-turner!

So these are the ways you can get your body out of the sedentary and get moving. My experience tells me that my physical activity boosts my mental faculties. I am more alert and efficient when I am physically more mobile. There is a mind-body connection that I must tell you. Elsewhere!

Do you have any other ideas? Or do you follow something ona regular basis? How do you make your office hours more mobile? Please do share so that all of us can benefit.