Thursday, March 24, 2011

How To Fit Exercise Into Any Daily Schedule!


As a mother in law enforcement, I always have to be sure to keep myself in top physical shape, regardless of how busy my life may be. At times, fitting a good workout into my already demanding schedule is nearly impossible.. On those days, I incorporate exercise into my daily routine and monitor my activity using a pedometer and calorie tracker. I take the stairs whenever I can, park my car farther away, walk my dogs an extra block, climb on the playground with my daughter and walk if I have any close errands to run. At the end of the day, I've usually burned off at least 200-300 extra calories that I normally would not have burned had I not been able to see it on my pedometer. While this isn't a permanent solution and not something I can do every day, it's perfect for those days that I don't have a chance to make it into the gym.

Pedometers and calorie trackers aid in keeping me accountable and give me feedback as to how much activity I'm really doing and how it's affecting my diet. Some pedometers and calorie trackers are excellent for, not only tracking your workout, but also helping to monitor your food intake and sleep patterns as well. This can give you a whole picture about your overall health. It can help you figure out where you need to make adjustments in order to help you stay in shape and within a health weight range.

One pedometer that is widely used by fitness professionals is the FitBit. The FitBit is only $99 and helps track your total miles traveled, your hour by hour calorie burn breakdown and even how much and how well you slept.. It actually tracks how long you slept and how many times you woke up. Weight gain is correlated with lack of sleep so this very well may help many figure out why they've been fighting the battle of the bulge for so long with no resolution in sight. You can wear the FitBit Tracker loosely in your pocket or clipped to your pants, shirt or bra. While you're sleeping you can wear it on your wrist like a watch. The FitBit can also be synced online and the data will be automatically uploaded to the Fitbit website. When you login to the FitBit website, y you'll be able to see detailed data and also participate in collaborative fitness goals with friends, family and co-workers that have the product. All you need to do is walk within 15 ft of the provided base station. Norma, one of the trainers at the 24 Hour Fitness in my area, swears by this tool and says it's helped every client she's recommended it to. For only $99, it's one of the better fitness tools on the market. Wearing it will give you insight on your diet, exercise and sleep that you were most likely not aware of in the past. Go to FitBit for more information.

The Philips Direct Life Activity Monitor is another gadget that, for only $99, helps track your movements and calorie burn all day. All you do is put the tiny square (no bigger than a stamp) in your pocket and it tracks your movements through the day. When you get home, simply plug it in your computer and log on to a personalized website for an hour by hour breakdown of your activity level and calorie burn. In addition to the monitor, you also get an 8 day initial assessment and 4 months of personalized coaching. Visit Direct Life for more information.

For only $99, both of these pedometers/calorie trackers can be an invaluable tool to your diet and exercise regimen. Sometimes people don't even realize how much they're eating until they see it. This will, not only help you see how much you're eating, but also give you insight as to how much activity you're doing and how much more you may need to do to reach your weight loss goals.

No comments:

Post a Comment