Fitting The Bill
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday September 4, 2003
Dedicating just an hour a day of your working week to exercise can make a big difference to your health.
Who has time to exercise when they're climbing the career ladder? Anyone who can't afford to turn into a flabby, unhealthy desk jockey, that's who.
All you need is an hour a day to maintain muscle mass and rev up your health.
Sports coach, personal trainer and motivational speaker Glen Pattison, of Innervision, has six tips for busy careerists.
1 Power walk or jog around the city sights. Take a T-shirt to the office so you won't sweat into your designer shirt and don't forget your sneakers. Encourage a colleague to join you so you have a workout buddy for extra motivation. "Twenty minutes of cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart and still leaves you time to change and shower," says Pattison.
2 Spend 30 minutes working out at a nearby gym every second day. "You can get in and out in this time and still benefit," he says. Alternate resistance work (weights) with cardiovascular activity. Or spend 30 minutes on a stationary bike or treadmill on the days you're not pumping iron. If you can, take a permanent locker at the gym and leave your gear there to save time.
3 Swimming is ideal in warmer months. "It is great for overall fitness, combining cardiovascular work with flexibility and co-ordination. It also clears the head." Take a bathing cap to avoid having to wash and dry your hair. You'll spend more time in the pool.
4 Take a skipping rope to work. "This is great for getting the heart rate up. Take the rope to a nearby park. Stretch, then alternate skipping and walking, then cool down with more stretching, and you'll be back to the office in under an hour."
5 Take advantage of any corporate exercise offered - tai chi classes or in-house gyms.
6 If all else fails, exercise at your desk. See www.mydailyyoga.com/yogaindex.html
The time-poor weights workout
Warm up muscles first. Then do one set of 10 repetitions each and cool down.
Chest - bench presses.
Shoulders - dumbell raises.
Back - lateral pulldowns.
Biceps - seated dumbell curls.
Triceps - dumbell kickbacks.
Legs - leg extensions.
If you have more time, add another set of repetitions.
f.i.t.t. factors
If you're finding it hard to get results, Glen Pattison suggests keeping an eye on the following.
Frequency How often are you exercising? "It's about consistency. You can't train once every two weeks and expect good results!"
Intensity "How much are you exerting yourself?"
Time "Don't chat, just exercise."
Type "Not all exercises give the same results. It's important to get an effective routine and one you'll enjoy doing so you'll stick to it."
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald