Tiny Bits Fitness Tips

By Sheila Cluff

     Most of my family is computer brains and then there’s yours truly.  I can turn one on, do my work, keep up with emails and visit Facebook, but that’s my level of competence.

     Recently the after-dinner family chatter was about bits, bites, gigs and RAM.  I watched their excitement as I realized that with tiny bits of fitness, one can increase their strength, flexibility and endurance. Actually, getting tiny bits of fitness in an otherwise overcrowded day might be your only solution to staying fit for life.

     Here’s what I came up with:

     *Exercise is a proven mood booster. “Exercise has long been touted anecdotally as an effective tool for mood improvement, but only recently has rigorous science caught up with these claims. There is now overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can help relieve low mood-from feelings of stress and anxiety to full depressive episodes,” explain Drs. Michael Otto and Jasper A.J. Smits, in a ground-breaking book (out in June 2011)Exercise for Mood and Anxiety:  Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being.  The next time you’re stressed or out of sorts, sneak in a walk such as a stroll around the park or garden or something more vigorous like a hike.

     *TiVo that.  Stop yourself from watching TV during the day.  And keep it off while you’re making the transition between worker and commuter to parent or spouse.  Add a bit of fitness before you even make dinner.  Use that treadmill you bought eons ago and is gathering dust. You can also jump rope, do some yoga, or shoot hoops with the kids or spouse.  Bring out the bike for a quick ride or just jog up and down your street.

     *Brown bag your lunch and spend the money you’re saving from restaurant meals on a membership to a gym or a spa vacation.  Or even a subscription to a fitness magazine that will inspire you to be healthier.

     *Get up earlier and go to bed earlier, too.  "Early morning workouts rev up your metabolism, jump start your energy level and accelerate your ability to burn up calories," said Tina Schmidt-McNulty, exercise physiologist and clinical exercise specialist on staff at Purdue University Calumet's Fitness Center.  No matter how busy your day becomes, you’ll feel refreshed and virtuous since you’ve met an important health goal.

     *Put your walking shoes right next to the front door as you leave for work so that you cannot ignore them when you return home.  Or put your shoes and workout clothing next to your bed so that you can see it first thing in the morning.

     *Waiting for the hot water to get hot enough to shower or brush your teeth?  Here’s another creative opportunity for a bit of fitness.  Do 10 push aways (a standing “push up” done from a sturdy counter).  Do more if it takes forever for the hot water to reach the bathroom.

     *When waiting for the commuter bus, copy machine, postal clerk—anytime you’re in a line, do stomach contractions.  No one will know that you’re “working out” unless you share this.  Straighten your posture and contract your abdominal muscles.  Hold for a count of five and release.  Repeat according to how much waiting time you have.  This is terrific while you’re sitting in gridlock traffic, too.

     *Get a bit of fitness by stretching.  It can make you feel more energized and virtuous than yet another cup of coffee or bag of chips.  There are stretching classes, stretching videos, and books on the topic too.  Here’s one to try right now.  Lift your arms over your head and grasp your elbows with the opposite hand.  Gently stretch from side to side.  If you don’t normally stretch begin slowly.  (By the way, this is a good one to use when flying and you’re feeling oh, so cramped in those impossibly tiny airplane seats.)

     *Do a bit of fitness at your desk and build your arm strength any time you’ve in the mood.  Sitting on a chair, place your hands closed to your hips and push yourself up.  Hold for a count of 5, relax and repeat.  If you sit in front of a computer all day, you may want to do this bit of fitness three or four times an hour.

     *Take a coffee break?  If you walk to the coffee room, take a detour and do a few laps around your office building, making sure you’re back in time for that next phone call or e-mail.  Double the bit of fitness and climb down a flight of stairs if you want to boost your energy level.

     *Make an appointment, a fitness appointment, for yourself each weekend.  Plan for it as you would any important commitment like a doctor’s visit or trip to a friend’s house.  Make it happen.  Your health depends on it.

     *Get so busy you forget to work out?  Every morning, put your watch on the opposite wrist or slip a ring on an unusual finger.  Only switch it back once you’ve met your fitness goal.  It’ll feel so strange you will not forget. This tip and the bit of fitness workouts could help launch a healthier, happier you as you strive to stay fit for life.

What are your Fit Bits?
Sheila Cluff, Founder, The Oaks at Ojai
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Sheila Cluff, fitness expert, motivational speaker, master figure skater and owner of The Oaks at Ojai, is the author of “Sit, Strengthen & Stretch,” a book of 9 simple exercises that can be done at your desk and proven to increase flexibility and core strength and “Take 5: How You Can Benefit from Just Five Minutes of Daily Exercise.” 

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