Live Actively

Being active is extremely important to me, and I try to include some kind of physical activity into my daily routine, whether it's walking instead of taking the bus or actually going to the gym or taking a bike ride. However, there is a problem beginning to emerge...the weather.

Yeah, it's getting colder out there, and that makes it harder to drag yourself off the comfortable couch, lift the warm blanket off your body, and head into the frigid outdoors. But autumn and winter--unfortunately and fortunately--bring holidays with some of the most delicious delicacies. Personally, I can't get enough pumpkin pie. So keeping our bodies moving is essential.

Another problem I came across this past weekend, after talking to some executives that my boyfriend works with, is that traveling can make it even more difficult to hit the gym. People who travel for work have a lot on their plates as it is, and finding the time to get 30 minutes of cardio a day can be tough. I'm leaving to go on a three-day trip to Boston today, and I'm not sure when I'll get a workout in (which is why I got up an hour earlier this morning so I could bike). But I thought about it, and there are ways to get past these obstacles.

For travelers:

• In the morning, hit the gym at the hotel--they usually have them--and bring some documents to read while you plug away on the elliptical/bike/stairmaster. Kill two birds with one stone.
  
• Take the stairs throughout the day. You'd be surprised how many calories it can burn. And it gets your heart rate up.
• Walk to lunch instead of taking public transportation or a cab. (Do this only if time permits.)

For people who dread the cold:

• Sign up for fundraising walks or runs--it gives you more of an incentive to get out there because it is for a good cause. I just participated in the AIDS run/walk and even though it wasn't that cold, it was totally worth getting up early and running 3 miles.
  
• Walk to the next bus stop--of course the one right in front of your house is convenient, but walking a couple extra blocks a day can really make a difference.
• Get a gym membership--if you don't already have one. And if you don't want to go out in the cold to walk there, drive or take a bus. As long as you go, it doesn't matter how you get there.

I don't expect everyone to be like me and go out of their way to get a workout in, but it's all about the little things you do everyday. I know that when I go to Boston, I'll have to find ways to get physical activity because a gym will not be readily available. But I plan to go shopping tomorrow, and how else do you shop? You walk, a lot.