Originally published on wphealthcarenews.com
Running a small business is not a 9 to 5 proposition. It can be challenging yet crucial for entrepreneurs to find time to get enough exercise. In this article, investor Dan Calugar provides seven proven ideas for working in a workout.
1. Skip the Elevator
If you work in a high-rise building, use the stairs instead of the elevator. You will, of course, need to be reasonable. Few people will have time or energy to climb 50 flights of stairs every day, but ten would be a good daily workout.
2. Be a Far Parker
Instead of finding the closest parking space, look for the spot furthest away from your destination every time you park. The additional steps add up over time. As an added benefit, you may find that a bit of a stroll before arriving makes you feel more alert, energetic, and creative.
3. Get a Standing Desk
If your work requires you to be at your desk all day, try using a standing desk. These clever devices allow you to change from a sitting position to a standing one throughout the day. Standing will help you build leg strength, and from an upright position, you are more likely to move around more often.
4. Shower at the Gym or Office
Changing up your routine to hit the gym on the way to the office saves time. If your gym offers a decent shower facility, use that in the morning instead of returning home or trying to go after work. Your workplace may have a gym that can serve the same purpose. The idea is to make working out as time-efficient as possible, eliminating the “I don’t have time” excuse from your repertoire of reasons you can’t work out.
5. Take a Walk for Lunch
Instead of heading to a restaurant or deli for lunch, pack some fruit and vegetables and take a walk during your lunch break. You may be asking, “who has time for lunch?” And the answer is “you do” – or at least you should. Taking a mid-day break to fuel your body and mind is essential for peak performance. As an entrepreneur, you can’t afford to skip lunch. It will render you too unproductive in the latter half of the day. So, walk while you eat and accomplish two important goals at the same time.
6. Walk, Run, or Bike to Work
You have to get to work, and you need exercise, so if there is any way to combine those two activities, do it. Of course, this strategy won’t work for everyone, but biking to work makes sense economically, environmentally, and physically for many people.
7. Set an Alarm for Hourly Heart Pumpers
There are plenty of short workouts you can do throughout the day right in your office. You can stretch, perform chair exercises, take a walk around the office, or any number of things to get your heart pumping. If you set your alarm to remind you every hour you won’t forget, and ten minutes of exercise six times a day is equivalent to a complete workout.
Not all of these seven simple steps will work for everyone, but use the ideas that fit your daily work circumstances and think of even more innovative ways to run your business and stay physically fit at the same time.