Staying Active Over The Summer

After four years of rowing in high school, I am conditioned to require physical activity.  Physical activity truly motivates me and keeps me awake; without it, I feel like a giant blob.  When I'm at college, I average around 3-6 miles of walking every day.  I try to make it to the gym 3-4 times a week, but walking sometimes feels like enough.  

Because I work in an office this summer, I am not nearly as active as I am at school.  Instead of the mindless activity built into a college routine, I have to actively plan out my physical activity.  It's definitely not always to wake up at the crack of dawn to get a work out in, so I have worked to incorporate fitness more naturally into my day.  Below I've shared the ways I stay active over the summer. 

1. Take the stairs 

Because my office is on the third floor, I take the stairs to challenge myself without going out of the way.  If I'm feeling super inactive after sitting at my desk for a couple of hours, I will walk to the restroom on a different floor or simply walk downstairs to the lobby.  

2. Walk as often as you can

  I try to get up and move every hour.  Sometimes I get up and take a walk around the building, other times I space out filling up my water bottle with taking rest room breaks.  The company I work for has beautiful grounds, and I try to walk for 20 minutes during my lunch break. Walking not only gives you a break from the screen, but also gives you the physical activity your body needs to stay healthy.  

3. Use a health app

I am a big fan of the Health app built into my iPhone because of the built in pedometer.  My phone measures the distance I walk or run each day without any effort on my part.  I frequently check the app to ensure I am walking at least 2 miles a day.  

4. Schedule workouts ahead of time

While I am guilty of hitting the snooze button, I try to workout in the morning at least twice a week.  Working out in the morning boosts your metabolism for the rest of the day, and naturally wakes you up from your beauty sleep. If I know I scheduled a workout the next morning, I am more likely to follow through with the work than if I waited until after the evening.  Because everyone works with different schedules, you have to experiment to see which time works best for you.  

5. Follow a fun workout program

My morning workouts of choice? Tone It Up! This website is run by two 'Workout Barbies,' as my sister would refer to them, named Karena and Katrina.  K+K offer different workouts for everyday of the week, and have extensive videos for free on their YouTube channel.  I love following their schedules because they offer a new workout everyday.  The workouts are also tailored towards women, focusing on female strength and empowerment. You can follow along with the workouts in the link above, or sign up on the Tone It Up website for daily emails.