9 tips for making working out a natural part of your day
Many decision-makers at companies, for example people working in sales, work long days at the office and represent the company in various events where food and drinks aren’t always the healthiest. A lot of time is spent sitting down, leaving no time for exercise. Moreover, many are forced to eat unhealthy, fast food on a daily basis.
I put together 9 tips on how to find time to exercise among all the hustle and bustle.
1. Take meetings outside and walk
Internal 1-1 meetings can be done walking, if the weather permits. A walk outdoors refreshes the mind and you get some functional exercise throughout the day. In my best weeks, I have walked up to 20 hours during meetings.
Many invest more in harder workouts, but the body can’t handle constant strain. Thus, an hour’s worth of walking every day, for instance, helps you get through tougher workouts in the long term.
2. Turn sales meetings into workouts
At my previous post as a Sales Director, people tried to sell me numerous products and services. I couldn’t decline all of the meeting requests, even if I knew they wouldn’t lead to any deals, as I was interested in learning about new things.
However, as some of the meetings did not bring added value from the point of view of know-how, I decided to form a new practice for meetings. By exercising together, I could fit in a workout and wouldn’t waste any time even if the meeting itself didn’t bring added value to the table.
A gym or crossfit type of a workout can also bring out different sides from people. Some of these people even ended up becoming close friends of mine, with whom I workout outside of work as well. Bad meetings feel a lot better after a workout.
3. Exercise with clients
This tip is a continuation of the original idea of exercising during working hours but doing something sensible at the same time. I have taken clients to ride bicycles, run, play tennis, to the gym and to play golf, of course.
I once got one of the best ideas while walking a client's dog together, as it was difficult to find a suitable time to meet otherwise.
4. Form a work related exercise group
Some of the most effective workouts are done in groups. While you’re at it, you can also network, internally or externally, thus increasing the benefits of training.
At my previous location, I put together a local group, which now has over 20 corporate decision-makers involved, all sharing the same mindset. I like to workout and talk business. In this group, people can always suggest new ways of training. For example, we have ran up the massive stairs of a local hill at 6:30 on a Saturday morning.
A similar group is now forming in Helsinki as well. If you are in the area and interested in joining, shoot me a message. The group usually meets up regularly to train once a month, for instance on Thursday mornings, and irregularly according to the needs of the group.
5. Meeting pushups
When you feel like you need more fuel for the brain in a meeting, try doing 50 pushups. The same can work as a “punishment”, if you are late from a meeting, for instance. Sometimes pushups can be switched to squats.
We used to have a pull-up bar in a conference room, which could also be actively utilized. I used to do 5x10 series of pull-ups and felt great afterwards. I also saved time, as I didn’t have to do a pull-up workout later in the evening at home.
Tired of the office life? Skip the coffee break and try a workout instead!
6. Family hobbies near other exercise opportunities
My 6-year-old daughter does figure skating and gymnastics. Next to the gymnastics hall, there is a gym, which I signed up for. During her figure skating training, I can go for a jog, jump rope or train with an ab wheel. My principle is that when my daughter is training, I am training.
7. Quick morning workouts at home
Kickstart your day with a 10 minute workout. A quick workout of 3 exercises and 3 rounds works better than coffee and gives you enough energy to last through the day. Moreover, it is easier to make yourself really run out of breath right after waking up.
8. When watching tv, move
I like to watch tv and learn interesting things. I try to utilize the time spent watching tv. For instance, while watching the UFC matches on Father’s Day, I rode my stationary bicycle at the same time. During the ice hockey World Championships, I developed an exercising game (compare to a drinking game), where I did different exercises according to what happened in the game.
25 pushups for a goal, 10 pull-ups for a penalty, 5 jump squats for other breaks in the game. This way I could keep up my own energy levels throughout the game. In addition, I have five kettlebells between 8-24kg next to the tv, making it easy to do, for instance, 3x10 swings with each kettlebell.
9. Make the work commute an exercise
This tip is self-evident for many. I ride my bike to work as often as I can, sometimes I even run. I walk or ride a bike from the train to the office. I favor stairs instead of the elevator. The amount of workplace exercising can easily be increased as well. The only thing that’s really stopping me from exercising at work is my suit, which I like to wear at work.