#Doing Things Together
The long dark days are upon us and the packed holiday schedules make time (and motivation) for working out a little tough to fit in. It’s been challenging to make time for a good sweat sesh so I’m trying to stop seeing my workout as a box to check but rather a lifestyle that I take with me throughout the day.
This is why I love Outdoor Voices. It's a brand redefining what living an active lifestyle looks like by adding activity into the basic motions of the day. They make fashionable workout gear that transitions between your workout class and daily life seamlessly. If you're stumped on what to get for the fitness lovers around you, their kits are one of my faves. They encourage employees and customers alike to use their outside voices by running around and #doingthingstogether. I love this concept. Too often when I feel pressured to show up to a workout class I don't love I rarely end up going back. This results in fitness feeling like a list of boxes to check rather than a lifestyle that's freeing and enjoyable.
We need to remember what it looks like to walk to our friend's house, run around and play with them, and get sweaty because we're alive. When and where did we forget how fun it is to forget our makeup and jump around because it's fun? I'm slowly learning what it looks like to infuse my life with activity and movement - and I'm blown away by how much fun, color, and joy it brings to my life.
IT'S TIME TO REDEFINE YOUR LIFESTYLE. HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO KEEP MOVING AND START #DOINGTHINGSTOGETHER
1. Stretch it out.
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying the older I get the less flexible I've become. So I've started beginning and ending my day with a 10 minutes stretch sesh. It's not a long process but I've found it loosens me up for daily runs and desk sitting. I work in an office where I spend 10+ hours a days sitting on my bum staring at a screen. Talk about not being conducive to healthy living. The constant sitting has made my hips insanely tight so I try to take a couple yoga classes a week to help with flexibility and improve my posture. This routine helps get my blood flowing in the morning and is a restorative practice right before bed. On the plus side, my hips are slowing unwinding and those toes don't seem as far away. It's a simple way to add movement into my day and within just a few days I'm remembering what it feels like to be limber.
2. WALK IT OUT.
We've probably all heard that sitting is the new smoking. Our bodies were made to move for hours without stopping but that's tough to do when so many of us are tied to screens and immovable devices. A few ways I get extra steps in is by adding a 20+ minute walk onto my commute. I use this walking time to clear my mind before jumping into the work day. It only adds 10 minutes onto my commute but this 20 minute walk five days a week adds miles into my weekly step goal and is about a million times more pleasant than cramming onto the tube. Try it out! Get off the bus two stops earlier and walk, or add a few places into your routine that you walk to rather than aways reaching for the car keys. *Protip: get a fitbit. It's worth it.
Another way to add activity into your day is to take walking meetings. I learned about this concept when in New York and am trying to adopt the practice as much as possible. Instead of planning smaller meetings in a conference room, grab a notepad, your jacket, and head outside to connect with your team in the fresh air. You'll be amazed by how much your mind appreciates the extra steps and you waistline won't complain either.
3. LIVE IT OUT.
Get out there! Get that booty outside in the fresh air and run around! Kick a ball, try rock climbing again, go skiing, take that dance class you want to try. It doesn’t matter where or how or what you do- that's what's so freeing! There are a million ways to get your body moving so do it. And do something new tomorrow. And then do something different after that. There are endless options to be active and do things so get up and go! Better yet call up your people and start #doingthingstogether more often. It's not enough to just check the box with that fitness class you don't love. Life's too short for that. Remember that kid who was exploding with energy and could run for hours without stopping? Seek her out, remember how fun it is to play, and run around with her.
Images from Outdoor Voices.