Embrace Fitness as a Lifestyle: Edition 3

Welcome to the third edition of the Embrace Fitness as a Lifestyle Blog! In this edition we will be covering:

• Incorporating Fitness During a Week from Hell

• Mary’s Story

• Sierra Whiskey Fitness News

Incorporating Fitness During Busy Times

Do you ever just have those weeks where you are pulled in every direction imaginable? You get home exhausted and just want to relax for the evening. However, you see the laundry that need washing, the dog who is ready to go for a walk, and not to mention dinner that needs to be made. On top of this, you just had a friend ask you to meet up for a couple of drinks.

The unfortunate reality is that this is life for most of us after a long stressful day at work. We have so many competing priorities that fitting in a workout is the last thing on our minds. Though working out is such a stress relief for many, it still sometimes is put on the back burner as a result of competing priorities. Let's dive into a couple of methods that can help with fitting in fitness into an already chaotic day.

Technique One - Breaking Out a Workout

One of my favorite techniques is to break my workouts up throughout the day if I know that it's going to be hard to set aside a dedicated time block. In my case, I know my workouts take 1.5 hours usually. Typically my workouts will include a my main lift (deadlift, squat, press, etc.), accessory movements, and then cardio. Some days it is near impossible to mentally allow myself to go workout for that long when there are other things that need my attention. On days like this, I will go into the gym and complete each segment separately on busy days. That way at a minimum, I have at least completed part of my workout if all else fails.

Note: This technique works best if you have a home gym or access to equipment at home.

Technique Two - Have Fitness Equipment Accessible From Home

Home gyms are on continuing to be on the rise since mass shut downs occurred in 2020. It is not uncommon to see your neighbor with a garage full of equipment. However, this isn't a budget or space friendly option for everyone. If you are a busy professional, investing in a set of adjustable dumbbells and bands for your home is a great in-between option. I recommend this because if you are in a time pinch, there are so many things you can do in 20 minutes with both items that is better than nothing. It may not be the same workout you'd get at a commercial gym but gets your body moving and heart rate increasing.

Technique Three - Reduce Exercise Volume and Set a Timer

If you are in a rush, reducing the sets or the number of exercises you complete could be a time saver. A method I love doing is setting a 45 minute timer. The goal then is to complete as much as I can during the set time. Reducing sets and number of exercises to can help you still complete your workout but also keep you within a set time.

Not every workout will be the same due to life factors that inevitably pull us in different directions. However, it's not a valid reason to not take care of ourselves. Remember, moving the body is the goal at the end of the day even if it's a 10 minute walk with the dog. Consistency and discipline will win in the end.

Mary's Story

I connected with Mary last year when looking for Registered Dietitians for a client. I wanted to interview her because I love her outlook on health and wellness! Check out her interview below:

About you: What is your name and what do you do for a career?

My name is Mary Stockhauser, I am a registered dietitian with my own private practice, Mary’s Nutritional Wellness PLLC! Since 2019, I have been providing individuals with the tools, resources & knowledge to give long term success with food, nutrition & their bodies through individual nutrition counseling! I specialize in the treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. I work on rebuilding your mind, body and food relationship. I also specialize in gut health and can help reset your GI tract to reduce bloating, heartburn, intolerances, and bathroom troubles while increasing your digestibility, energy and concentration. What are your hobbies? My hobbies include exploring and traveling nature, hiking, kayaking, eating good food, playing with my two kittens and painting! What is your favorite food?

This is definitely a tough question for me to answer! I love so many types of foods and really believe in the idea that all foods can fit into a healthy and balanced lifestyle. My top three favorite foods would have to be dumplings, veggie pizza and chia seeds! What is your favorite life quote?

One of my favorite quotes is, “give yourself the space to be bored.” This quote is something I find to be a helpful reminder that we live in a world where we do not stop, we are going at all time and it’s nice to remember that we need and deserve to slow down and mentally recharge! Your mental health plays a major role in your overall physical health too. Embracing Fitness as a Lifestyle: What is your program or training style of choice that keeps you active?

My training style would include listening to my body with some guidelines to help keep myself going! I like to incorporate movement that is enjoyable for me like walking, hiking, and dancing alongside 2-3 days a week of light weights for strength training. What is your strategy to incorporate balanced nutrition into your day to day life?

As a dietitian who believes in balance and having nothing off limits, I like to think about how food is making me feel physically and mentally. I always keep in the back of my mind how my body needs so many nutrients and that helps motivates me to make choices that improve my health from day to day. How do you stay motivated to continuously embrace fitness as a lifestyle?

Recognizing that movement and fitness not only helps my physical body, but helps my mental health as well helps me to stay motivated to not allow my emotions to build up too much without some type of relief. Also, I have a white board on my fridge where I put a different goal on every month. Every time I accomplish that goal, I check it off to show progress and motivate me to be better than the previous month. Do you have any tips for busy professionals struggling?

I recommend making a master to do list of all the things that are filling up your brain, then pull from that running list to make a weekly to do list. From there, pull tasks that are realistic to be accomplished in each day. Don’t sabotage yourself with too many tasks and make sure you are crossing off the most important things first! Is there anything else you would like to share?

I would be more than happy to help answer any nutrition or health questions or direct people in the right direction! Feel free to call or text me at 315-527-0877. Check out my Instagram @marysnutrition for daily nutrition tips!

Sierra Whiskey Fitness News

It has been a pretty quiet week here. We will be finishing up filming for the Functional Fitness course over the next few days and then will focus on editing course content. On the garage gym side of things, I will be installing a new piece of equipment from Stray Dog Strength later next week. I am just patiently water for all my parts to arrive. I also want to finish building a squat wedge that I've had the materials for since last October.

That's all for now! Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you are interested in being interviewed for future editions, please let me know. I'd love to feature your story, home gym, and methods to embracing fitness as a lifestyle.

Stay safe, stay awesome,

Sierra