What is life like for people working at the state Capitol? Stressful and time-consuming! With this kind of lifestyle is it even possible to keep healthy and maintain a consistent diet and exercise program?
The answer is, yes! The keys to maintaining a good, productive fitness regimen are good planning and a little self-motivation.
One thing people can immediately change is how often they eat. While it may seem counter-intuitive, eating more often is better for you. Several small, balanced meals per day help raise metabolism and keep energy high. And an increased metabolism helps burn calories, keeping a person’s weight down.
To accomplish this, however, you need to find healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, nuts and granola bars that are:
• Quick and easy to eat
• Can be taken with you throughout the day
• Don’t need to be refrigerated
I suggest you take some time — Sunday night works well — to plan the upcoming week’s meals. Get all the foods you’ll need to create easy, on-the-go meals or pre-make meals so that they are ready for you to eat when you need them.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) says healthy adults under 65 years of age should get 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise five days per week or 20 minutes three days per week of high-intensity cardio. The college also recommends this be accompanied by a strength training program of 8 to 10 exercises of 10 to 12 reps each twice per week.
Jason Bingham, CPT, ISSA, SCIRION is the fitness director and head exercise physiologist at Renaissance Athletic Club in downtown Phoenix. He also owns and operates Bingham Eat more often, lose weight
Fitness, a home-training and exercise business. He can be reached at (602) 339-6677 or by e-mail at Jason@BinghamFitness.com.?