Stay Healthy and Fit While Working From Home

You are probably saying...yuck, I've heard all of this stuff before. What really prompted me to discuss this topic is a program I saw recently on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/diet/basics/

It was about diet wars and the "shape of America." Shame on us! Check out this chart on Body Mass Index http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm

Read what it is and where you are. This is a PDF document. It is doubly difficult to work fromhome and resist the five steps to the refrigerator along with the thought of "okay, I'll just finish this and then take a break." Believe me I can get focused on my work and before I know it, the wholeday is gone. My trainer (my husband) has helpedme to take control of my health and well being andstill get my work completed from my home office ....and my refrigerator is literally five steps from whereI am sitting right now. So, bear with me and maybe I can be your Virtual Health Conscience.

Now is the time to put those hours you previouslyspent in your car driving to the office to work for you. I get at least an extra 1.5 hours every day that I now put to work for me. First, I heard somewhere that if you do something 18 times in a row, it will become a habit. That can begood and bad -- the good: taking a walk, bad: eating donuts....see what I mean? With that in mind, let's get started.

"Thin feels better than food tastes" "Eating less to live longer"

First thing in the morning...do some stretchesand exercises. I do 100 crunches, stretch everypart of my body, some back exercises, and I have 5 lb weights that I do about 50 reps of various movements...takes about 15 minutes.

Then I go for a 20 minute walk. I just purchaseda pedometer so that I can make sure I'm walkingenough. It is my conscience. My goal is 15,000 steps a day. I've set a minimum of 10,000 steps a day and get real excited when I go over 15,000.Here is the pedometer I bought and it works just great and is inexpensive.

Sportline Basic Step Pedometer:

(http://www.yourvirtualresource.com/stay_healthy_working_at_home.htm)

After the walk, it’s a small breakfast, shower andnow I am refreshed and ready to hit the keyboard.

Sometime between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM, it's off for another walk. It only takes 15 minutes to eat lunch, so I use 20 minutes for a walk or bike ride or tennis, a few minutes to do some domestic duties around the house and then it's back to theoffice.

At 4:30 PM in the summer, earlier in the winter, it's off for the final walk of the day. I usually do a little work after dinner - not much TV for me – there's nothing good on it anyway.

At 9:30 PM. or so, the final stretches end theday. I do 100 more crunches. Gotta keep thatpooch from appearing. ;))

Now this isn't a strict regime, only guidelinesfor me. I sometimes trade a bike ride for a walk or play some tennis. In the winter, it's usually a walk, but I'll vary the time of day –I love the sun and it's more pleasant during theday. Sometimes my husband and I take an extended walk to a local restaurant for a speciallunch and skip the afternoon walk.

It's easy to formulate healthy habits, both exerciseand eating. I wholeheartedly believe that I can eatanything I want in moderation. Sure, I have fries, but only a few and not very often. I never have a coke with lunch - it's a waste of calories. I would enjoy much more by having a scone or muffin. Mytreat is a latté – but in order to be able to have them, I always order low fat sugar free. See how you can adjust and make things into treats.

Walking is a life saver for me...it gets me outside,fresh air and I can do it anywhere. I always park at the very back of the parking lot and walk to thestore front. I remember when my mother used to drive around the block five times to get the close parking place. Not me! This activity is a matter of habit. Now I feel guilty when I don’t get to walk; and it happens, just like life happens. Make up theschedule that best fits your day. The important thingis to make it a habit. I hope in some small way this little article will encourage you to take care of yourselfand be healthy...believe me, it will be worth it in thelong run for you and your family.

Be safe, be happy and stay healthy.

Your Virtual Health Conscience,
Kathy