Welcome to the Lazy Presidente edition for simple ways to keep fit and healthy daily!
When I was 16, I discovered the only way I could speak properly and control my stuttering was to exercise regularly and avoid fatty food. Doing martial arts helped instill this discipline, which has helped me breathe properly and keep my stutter in check. Unfortunately, if I stop my daily exercises for even a week, my stutter returns with a vengeance after a week, so I have no other choice.
Over time I have realized that it’s a marathon (not a race) to stay fit and healthy. I’m not designed to hit the gym intensely for six months, stop for a further three months, and start again. I’ve seen so many people go overboard with the gym and cannot sustain it long-term because they are drained or injured. They then return to bad habits, put on weight very quickly, and complain about it.
I believe it’s all about having a balance and keeping fit smarter (not harder), which is what I meant by the ‘Lazy Presidente’ edition. So here are seven simple tips to be fit and healthy every day without going overboard:
Table of Contents
1. Keep active after work
Although hitting on the couch and watching TV after a hard day’s work sounds enticing, it’s the worst thing you can do for your body. What’s working well for me is getting changed into my gym clothes as soon as I walk through the door (and saying hi to the family, of course) and forcing myself to exercise for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Things might be busy; even if it’s 5 to 10 minutes, it’s better than nothing.
This includes a quick bike ride, kicking the ball around my son, running around the oval, a quick workout, or whatever comes to mind. I cannot be too planned about my exercise, else I get bored. Going to the gym takes too much effort, and it’s not for me.
2. Stay clear of too much sugar, carbs, and dairy
Why be one extreme or another when you can strike a nice balance? Why starve yourself of the good things in life, right?
Before 16 years old, I regularly hit Mcdonald’s, KFC, and other fast food joints. I also consumed a few packets of chocolates and a heap of sugary soft drinks every week. I never appreciated of my mum’s home-cooked meals. But I realized this was an issue because it was impacting my speech and hips, so I made a conscious decision to eat smarter.
Eating smarter means avoiding fatty takeaway foods, switching from milk chocolate/dessert to the occasional piece of dark chocolate, and having home-cooked meals as much as possible unless I feel lazy. I found that once you get into a healthy routine, there’s no going back to bad habits! But, you get used to it and feel good in return. You cannot stamp everything because you’ll then stamp out life. This trick is to eat and drink what you work out, which brings me to my next tip.
3. Eat and drink what you work out
Being a lazy person, it’s all about efficiency! So I’ve gotten into a mindset of eating and drinking what I work out, which has it’s been working well, which has been working well for me over the last 20 years or so. So how does this work?
Well, it goes something like this…
If I don’t have time to exercise today, I eat something very healthy and light like sushi, a wrap, or a whole meal sandwich, and I avoid any wine or other alcohol.
If I have time for a workout and am happy with it, I reward myself with a mix of carbs, maybe some dessert, a glass of wine, or some other beverage.
Simple as that, and it’s only fair to my body.
4. Use the stairs at work or anytime
Using the stairs may not be an option if you live or work 50 floors up, but if it’s reasonable, do it (like Nike says)! You’ll get your daily exercise in one hit, avoid running into your boss, and awkward conversations in the lift, and won’t have to worry about line up due to social distancing. In addition, taking the stairs up is a great workout to strengthen your legs and muscles and burn up some calories lunch.
5. Have lots of green tea throughout the day
I don’t know what it is but having a hot green tea after a meal (especially a heavy one) makes me feel a whole lot better about life. Green tea has proven to boost your metabolism, help break down fat, and increase the number of antioxidants in your bloodstream.1
6. Swap your work chair for a yoga ball
Swapping your office chair for a yoga ball is the perfect lazy solution for keeping fit and healthy without making any extra effort. Yoga balls are proven to tone core muscles, relieve back pain, help you breathe better, get you stretching more without you even knowing, and burn extra calories.2
7. Do these 5-minute workouts when you can
Try out our four 5-minute workouts, which you can do from anywhere and requires no equipment. It’s all about working out smarter, not harder!
For more inspiration on living smarter, click here for nine smart things lazy people do.