How To Treat Your Body Better & Stay Physically Productive
ORIGINAL POST DATE: 02-08-2018
A special thanks to Fabletics for partnering with me and sponsoring this post. I love em and I think you'll love em too.
As a work from home mom & online entrepreneur I can speak to you firsthand about how easy it can be to let yourself completely go — mentally and physically — and lose sight of your goals and/or self-care. In Part 1 of this post, I share with you my top 5 productivity hacks — things that I do on a nearly daily basis to keep myself focused and productivity and mentally in shape. But what about my body?!
Working from home can be very unfriendly to physical care — you're staring at a screen, for hours on end. Early morning and late nights. Snacking at your desk. A diet that consists of coffee and whatever your toddler leaves on their plate. Just overall, a really REALLY bed recipe for physical health.
In this post I want to share with you 5 of my physical fitness hacks that keep me from letting my body go. This isn't about weight loss, more so that it's about being mindful of how I treat my body when in entrepreneur mode or mom mode.
I've said it ten times over, I don't have to ever leave my house but that doesn't mean my physical fitness isn't a priority. Admittedly there are days I fall short, but carrying out these "hacks" have been great for keeping me on track.
Opening the blinds and/or windows
I can't stress to you the importance of getting in natural sunlight and/or fresh air. I open my blinds & windows every chance I get. The natural sunlight is a great source of natural vitamin D, in addition to a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy complexion, increased red blood cells, energy boosts, and improved circulation.
Aside from what the natural sunlight can do for me physically, it's great mentally.
The sunlight & fresh air wakes up the room and brings in the outdoors — both great for keeping you inspired & focused.
keeping a water bottle on hand
I'll be the first to admit I don't drink nearly as much water as I should. The only time I was consistently drinking water was during my pregnancy — I drank water like a fish! So how do I get my water intake & balance all the coffee drinking? I keep my water bottle on hand all around the house.
This is SO MUCH easier than constantly grabbing a glass of water — the recommended amount is 8 glasses a day, and who really wants to get up 8 times a day going to the fridge?! Not this girl!
What I love about my water bottle is that it's a straw top so I get through my water quickly and efficiently, and keeping it on hand makes me more likely to drink it and make fewer trips to the fridge to fill it up.
making time for breaks
Between school and the business, I do A LOT of sitting at my desk. This doesn't bode well for my body at all — no matter how "comfortable" my chair may be, at some point I have to get up and move, or my body will let me know!
Solution? Building breaks into my day. I will stand up at my desk, even if I keep "working" just to get the blood flowing & to stretch my legs.
When I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll leave the desk altogether and have impromptu dance parties or go for a walk. The walk can be as simple as tidying up around the house or a couple miles around the neighborhood. Whatever it is, just to get my body moving & blood flowing.
investing in small footprint workout equipment
To work out at home, guess what? You don't need a home gym! While a dedicated work out space may be nice, it is certainly not necessary. Back when I was more active, what really kept me feeling put together was going to Zumba & yoga classes, and getting in some weight training. When I couldn't get to a class, I'd opt for some other form of cardio, with an elliptical being my go to equipment.
I also used to do a lot of walking — any chance I could get. Living in NYC, I walked to every job, to the park and the pier...just about everywhere! Moving out west to a new place, with a whole new life I wanted to still have that level of activity, especially now that I', not out & about or at the gym. How could I recreate my workout routine?
I purchased pragmatic, small footprint equipment — a sit/stand elliptical and a weighted resistance band set.
The elliptical fits comfortably under my desk — great for an quick sit down work out == or can easily be used as part of my "stand up and move" routine. My resistance bands make for easy, customizable strength training especially with all the weight options. The best part is -- I can use em with the elliptical, getting a super easy full body at home work out that doesn't disrupt my lifestyle or decor.
investing in stylish workout wear
So one thing that I love to do everyday is getting dressed. While I don't leave my house for work, I do believe that if you dress the part, you can almost trick your brain to be a bit more dedicated to whatever it is. While it would easy for me to wake up everyday and work in my robe, putting on "good clothes" makes me really feel like I'm "adulting". The same goes for working out!
A lot of my former merchandising experience was in the athletic retail space, so I'm probably naturally biased in this regard, but I can't tell how much more productive my workouts would be when I would be in the appropriate attire — look good, feel good, do good! I'm especially a sucker for stylish workout gear — makes me really feel like I have my life together. Enter Fabletics!
Fabletics is the epitome of where function meets fashion — you can look super chic when working out, no matter if you're just doing some simple stretches at home or taking a high level kickboxing class.
My style is "minimalistic chic", if I had to describe it. I love my neutrals and I favor pieces that cover more than the show — long, high waisted leggings, short to long sleeve top. Fabletics has an assortment of pieces that not only satisfy those needs but also fits my body type. I'm 5'5", top heavy, with no torso, and pretty long legs, yet I can comfortably wear Fabletics when working out (and when making a Target run).
