Executive Exercises: Staying Active at Work

I have recently done a guest post for Scrubadoo which will be going up on Thursday. Since it was such a fun experience, I asked if Eva Dixon wouldn't mind doing a guest post on my blog. It's always fun to branch out and write for others, so here is her article about Staying Active at Work. Enjoy!

Executive Exercises: Staying Active at Work

By Scrubadoo.com’s Eva Dixon

I recently read an article regarding the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.  According to the article, watching more than 3 hours of television a day can reduce your life expectancy by 2 years!  That places the risks of sitting on the couch up with smoking as a life-shortener! 

With over 30% of American adults and over 15% of American children diagnosed with obesity as of 2010, the results of an inactive lifestyle are obvious.  Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease is also mentioned in the article as possible repercussions.

Although the article’s focuses on watching your favorite sitcom for hours on end, there are many other reasons why Americans spend so much time in a chair- the office for example.  Many Americans spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week chained to a desk and rarely get the chance to move around.  Of course there are some people (like medical professionals) who are constantly on the move at work (and probably sweat right through their scrubs!) but for the rest of us physical movement at work is a challenge.  I myself have recently adjusted to life at a desk and, as a result, have come up with a few ways to keep myself moving:

Mid-day Meander: 

Most days at lunchtime I seize the chance to grab some fresh air and take a walk.  Even if I decide to go with the less-than-healthy option of eating out, I try to go somewhere within walking distance so that at the very least I’m not sitting in a car during lunch!  Of course, I live in Minnesota, so we’ll see if I keep this up throughout winter!

Strategic Stretching:

I also try to get up every hour or so and do a few stretches in the office.  Just simple things like touching my toes or standing and rotating my neck in circles keeps my joints from getting stiff and inflexible.  It also pulls my eyes away from the computer screen every once in awhile which can’t hurt!

Add a Challenge to Your Chatter!: 

Sometimes I spend a lot of my day on the phone.  My newest trick is to keep small free weights (5lbs or so) at my desk and pick one up when I’m on the phone or reading emails.  Although I don’t have any specific routine- I have to stay focused on my work-I just keep the weights moving.  This helps tone muscle without dedicating yourself to a trip to the gym- just remember to switch arms every once in a while! Also if you have a cell phone, try walking and talking!

With these small movements in my day, my body feels less stiff and I feel healthier at the end of my day.  8 hours is a long time to sit and with all the new research about the risks of an inactive lifestyle why not make these small changes!  So kick your inactive habits and kick into gear!

Working for the Weekend


The summer is hands-down the best time of the year for me to get out there and really enjoy nature. As summer approaches, I am constantly planning new trips, and thinking of ways to get outside more often. As a man who works the typical 9-5, the majority of my fitness escapades take place on the weekend. It has often said by myself and my close friends, that the weekend is the shortest 2 days of the week, where the weekdays seem to drag on and on. As I get older, and the weekends get shorter, it has become more an more important to take time on the weekend to get out there and experience life.

With that being said, this past weekend was full of off the wall energy! My wife and I had the whole weekend free from family, graduation parties, reunions and everything else that seems to take over during the summer. During this time we planned to have two action packed days and see what we could accomplish. Here's how it all went:

Saturday:

We woke up pretty early, around 7 or so and hopped in the car to head down to the lake for some kayaking. I was thinking ahead and went right ahead and threw the kayaks on the rack the night before to save myself the hassle in the morning. We got down to the lake and it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. The water was calm and clear, and we were surprised that nobody else had the same idea. Aside from a man and his sailboat, we were the only people on the lake, and that was fine by us! After a quick paddle, we decided to head in before the sun got too unbearably hot. We headed home for a nice breakfast outside, which my wife and I prepared. Can't go wrong with eggs, fruit, toast and juice! especially after a nice paddle on the lake.

From there we decided to rest a while outside while it was nice and wait a bit before heading out on our bikes. When we did get around to the bikes, we were both feeling energized and giddy! The trail head is only a mile from our house, so after no time on the road, we were under the thick cover of the trees above the trail. All in all it was a great ride, in which we stopped on the foot bridge for a little snack.

I always feel great after a ride. My legs get that rubbery feeling for a few minutes and a shower never felt as good! All in all in was a great saturday afternoon.

Sunday:

We slept in a little bit and decided to head to a state park close by for a hike. The waterfalls this time of year are always amazing, so we hoped we might be able to swim too if the water wasn't too crazy cold.
The drive to the park took a little over an hour, but we didn't mind with the windows down and a nice country view. Once we arrived we decided to opt for the 5 mile hike instead of the 3 since we were feeling so fresh. The hike was beautiful, with several waterfall overlooks. I wish there was a longer hike because I just felt so happy to be there and didn't want it to end.

But like all things, the weekend must end, and the fun trips must come to a close. As the week approaches, you bet your boots i'll be taking little notes and asking around for great places to visit on the weekends!

Welcome!

Hello out there!

This is officially the first post on my very new blog "View From the Summit." The name draws inspiration from climbing a mountain and feeling on top of the world. I have found that this feeling can be achieved in many different ways: mostly, by living a happy and fulfilling life.


So why start a blog? Why now? The truth is that it's been a while since I have sat down and wrote about myself and the things that drive me, so i'm taking my wife's advice and taking the bull by the horns. I'm hoping that this blog will serve the purpose of fulfilling my love of exploring and writing about the outdoors, nutrition, health and fitness, as well as inform, engage, and excite new readers.

How about a little background about myself before we jump in? I spend my days as Head of Creative Writing at Gym Source. I love my career and the opportunities it has provided me. I enjoy writing and learning new things, and have taken away so much knowledge from the fitness field that fuels me in my everyday life. Outside of work I am on a constant road to adventure. I like to keep active and healthy by being outside as much as possible and trying new things. I love food, music, hiking, camping, running, biking, kayaking and a thousand other things that keep me busy!

In this blog I want to explore all of these things and more. I hope to write about health, fitness, being outside, provide insights, share recipes, show off trip photos, and anything else that pops into my head! I also would love to network more, meet new people, and learn new things that will continue to inspire me.

I want to thank you for reading so far, and if it sounds like this blog may be of interest to you, I hope that you will visit often!

- Jim