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Whether you own your own business, work remotely, or freelance, working from home is fantastic. You don’t have to worry about morning traffic, you can work in your pajamas if you so desire, and you can create your own work environment.

However, one of the downsides of working at home is that it can make it harder to get motivated with a fitness regime. It’s easier to make yourself go to the gym on your way to and from the office, or ride your bike to work, but how can you stay fit when your only exercise is walking downstairs to your computer chair?

Staying fit and active is very important and will help you be more productive and successful in your work. Here are a few things you can do to stay in shape when you work from home:

• When you first wake up in the morning, do 20-30 minutes of exercise before even turning on the computer. You can go for a jog or a walk, do some yoga, or dance around to your favorite music, whatever feels good. This will wake you up and make you more productive at work, and will also mean that you make sure you get your exercise done before getting caught up in your work.
• Buy a few simple tools for working out at home, such as a yoga mat, barbells, jump rope, or kettle balls.
• While you are sitting at your desk all day, take a break every hour and do five or ten minutes of physical activity, such as jumping jacks, pushups, squats, lunges, or sit ups. This will give you a burst of energy to keep you focused on your work, and will help you burn calories throughout the day.
• Look for a group exercise session at your local community centre or gym, such as yoga, dance, martial arts, or aerobics. Working at home can be lonely, so these types of classes give you a chance to meet other people while also keeping in shape. When you make friends in the class who you look forward to seeing, you will be more likely to make the commitment to going every week.

Getting enough exercise can be a challenge when you work from home. With these tips you can turn exercise into part of your routine.

Did you know that the food you eat before and after working out can have an impact on how effective your exercise regime is?

Working out takes energy, and the food that you use to fuel that energy makes a big difference. When you fuel up on the right nutrients you can superpower your workout and make the most of your time in the gym.

What to Eat Before the Gym

Some people swear by working out on an empty stomach, but studies have shown that because you have no food in your system to use as fuel this can cause your body to burn your muscle reserves for energy.

You are going to the gym to build muscle, not deplete it so it is better to eat a small meal before working out to give yourself some energy.

This meal should include lean protein, lots of fiber, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, and a small amount of fat. These types of foods take longer to absorb and make you feel fuller for longer, and they provide lots of fuel to energize you for your workout.

A great pre-workout snack would be whole wheat bread with peanut butter and a banana, scrambled eggs and toast with fruit, or a protein shake or smoothie made with yogurt and fruit. If it is less than one hour before the workout, go for a small meal but if you have more than two hours before you get to the gym you can eat more.

What to Eat After the Gym

Once you are finished working out, you should be drinking lots of water to replenish the sweat that you have lost.

Within one hour of finishing your workout, you should have another small snack with high quality protein, because this will help build your muscles and aid your body in recovering.

Nourishing your body with healthy proteins and complex carbs before and after a workout will give it the fuel to build muscle and become stronger.

Do you find yourself struggling to lose weight and constantly craving sweets, desserts and salty snacks?

Have you ever said to yourself, “After this last bucket of fried chicken I am going to eat healthy” only to order the same meal the very next week?

Studies are showing that junk food is so hard to give up because it actually becomes a psychological and physiological addiction in the body. The cravings for these foods which are high in sugar, salt and fat become deeply ingrained and it is hard to break the habit.

Here are some tips for reducing the amount of junk food you eat and living a healthy life:

Know What You Are Eating

Most people who eat lots of fast food and junk food don’t even realize how bad it is for their bodies. Do some research about the nutritional content of these foods, read about their affect on health, and watch videos such as “Super Size Me” and “Food Inc”. Watching these programs will also put you off eating these foods.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

If you are in the habit of eating junk food, even simply seeing one of your favorite unhealthy snacks will make you crave it. Stop stocking your cupboards with cookies, potato chips, chocolates, and other treats because they will be very tempting for you.

Plan Ahead

It’s easy to say that you will resist that bag of potato chips every time, but when you have finished work late and you arrive home absolutely starving you might just find you can’t help snacking before dinner. The trick is to plan your meals ahead so that you never find yourself getting very hungry without a healthy alternative to eat.

If you know that you sometimes arrive home late, try cooking up larger batches of healthy meals on the weekend which you can easily microwave for a fast but nutritious meal. You could also stock your fridge with healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables and yogurt that you could snack on while waiting for dinner to cook.

The good news is, once you overcome the initial difficult period of withdrawal from these greasy, salty, and sweet snacks you will find that you don’t really miss them. Your body will crave them less and you will be on the path to leading a healthy life!

Do you get frustrated because you want to live a healthier lifestyle but your job keeps you sitting at a desk all day?

Sedentary work can cause us to gain weight and suffer from eye strain, back pain, and lack of energy. However, it is a lot easier than you think to add physical activity to your workday, even if you are chained to a desk.

Adding in small bursts of exercise to your daily routine will not only help you keep fit, slim and healthy, it will also give you more energy to take on the day and boost your mood.

Here are a few ideas to get a little exercise even if you’re super busy:

• Wake up 10 or 15 minutes earlier than you normally would and try going for a jog around the block or doing some yoga stretches. It will be difficult at first, but once you get into this habit you will feel strange without it.
• If it is possible, ride your bike or walk to work rather than driving. This is a super easy way to fit exercise into your routine, and you will save money on gas!
• If you work on a high floor of an office building, take the stars instead of the elevator. It makes a little bit of difference, and it is one of the easiest ways to grab 5 minutes of exercise in your busy day.
• Replace your chair with an exercise ball. By sitting on this large ball, you will be forced to keep your abdominal muscles and back muscles flexed, which will strengthen your inner core. You will burn more calories just sitting there, and it will also help to avoid back strain.
• Instead of eating at your desk, use your lunch break to get some fresh air and walk to a nearby park to enjoy a picnic instead.
• Throughout your day, whenever you finish a project or a report reward yourself with a short break and do some stretches, pushups, or calisthenics in your office. This will invigorate you and clear your mind for the next project.

These are just a few ways that you can fit exercise into your busy workday. Have fun keeping fit!

If you have good ideas of your own, please share them! I’d be interested in hearing how you fit fitness into your daily routine.

Eating While Distracted

How many times have you been eating while watching TV and thought that you had another few bites left but then realize you have devoured the whole thing? Not watching television while eating will actually help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.

Since your mind is so entranced by the television, cramming the food into your mouth becomes automatic and it is hard to notice when you have eaten too much.

How to kick it: When you make dinner, sit down at the table instead of on the couch. If you live with a partner, converse and enjoy each other’s company while you eat. If you live alone, give yourself some quiet time to focus on how yummy the food tastes. Savour each bite slowly and chew it well, and stop when you feel full.

Skipping Breakfast

“I don’t have time before work.”

“I’m just not hungry in the mornings.”

“I’m trying to lose weight.”

No matter what your excuse is for not eating a morning meal, this is an unhealthy habit that you need to kick. Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy breakfast in the morning perform better on tests and are more alert.

Also, forget about skipping breakfast to lose weight, as studies have shown that this will actually make you more likely to indulge in an unhealthy mid-morning snack or eat more at lunchtime. When you starve your body your natural metabolism tends to assume that you have ended up stranded on a deserted island and that you might not get a meal again for days.

Once your body is in starvation mode, you will horde more calories when you finally do eat something.

 How to kick it: If you can’t stomach a large breakfast first thing in the morning have a simple piece of multigrain toast and jam before you leave for work, and then bring fruit, nuts, and yogurt to eat at your desk an hour later.

3AM Facebook Sessions

We’ve all done it. We can get so distracted doing something online, whether it is watching clips from your favourite television shows, chatting with friends, or clicking through funny forums, that we don’t even notice that we have stayed up way longer than we need to being hypnotized by the computer’s glow.

Studies have shown that using electronic devices such as computers right before bed can increase the risk of insomnia. The bright flickering screen hinders the natural release of the hormone melatonin, which is what puts you to sleep.

Lack of sleep makes you less alert, more susceptible to illness, more emotional, and not to mention those bleary eyes are so not attractive!

How to kick it: Create a “computer curfew” for yourself that is at least 2 hours before bedtime. Shut down your laptop. Take a relaxing bath, listen to music, or read a book instead.

Being a new parent is a very exciting time!

It can also be exhausting, because many new parents are so caught up in caring for their child as best they can, that they forget to also look after themselves!

However, it is very important to look after your own health as well when you have a new baby. If you are well-rested and healthy you will be much more able to be a loving and effective parent to your little bundle of joy.

Here are some tips for staying healthy as a new parent:

• Get as much sleep as possible. Chronic lack of sleep will not only leave you irritable and less alert, it will also lower your immune system and leave you more susceptible to illness. When you have a new baby, your sleep schedule will already be disrupted by late night feedings, so try to make up this as much as possible by going to bed early and taking naps in the day if you need to. Take turns getting up in the night with the baby, and take the opportunity to sleep whenever the baby sleeps.
• Take a break. In order to keep your relationship with your partner healthy and rejuvenate your energy, it is important to take a night off from diaper changes and baby talk once in a while. Put on some clothes without spit-up stains on them, leave the baby with a sitter, and head out for a nice meal or a quiet walk. Taking a break doesn’t make you bad parents; it will actually make you less stressed and happier together.
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet. This is especially true if you are a nursing mom because you will need to replace the nutrients that you are passing along through your breast milk. If you find it hard to make the time to prepare healthy meals, make them simple and prepare them in advance so that you can freeze portions for thawing later.
• Get some exercise! Even though you might be tired, keeping active will actually refresh you and give you more energy, so why not take the baby out for a walk in the stroller in the fresh air or join a post-natal yoga class?

Taking care of a new baby is a lot of work, which is why it is important to take care of yourself and stay healthy so that you can be the best parent you possibly can.

“I know you have a day off, but can you cover this shift for me?”

“Can you help us sew all of the costumes for the school play?”

“Why don’t you come out to my party? Everyone will be there!”

Sometimes in life we feel ourselves overwhelmed by demands on us from all sides. Our bosses and coworkers expect a lot at work, our friends expect us always to go out and have fun, and our families need us to support them. Eager to please and to avoid disappointing anyone we care about, we push ourselves to the limit to say “yes” to every request. However, being a superhero and meeting everyone else’s needs is an exhausting task that can only be kept up for so long. Soon you feel yourself missing sleep, getting overwhelmed, and not remembering the last time that you took care of your own needs. 

It’s Not Selfish to Take Care of Yourself

Of course you want to help others, and you might even feel guilty if you say no to requests to give yourself some time off. However, if you cannot help yourself and keep yourself healthy and energized, you will not be able to take care of others at all. Overwork and lack of sleep weakens your immune system, and makes you more likely to get sick. You can’t attend your child’s school play, do overtime at work, or help a friend move if you have the flu! When you run yourself into the ground and then have to spend several days in bed recovering, you are simply no help to anyone!

If this sounds all too familiar to you, it’s time to practice saying “No” to some of the requests upon you in your life so that you still have enough time to meet your own needs. Politely decline and let people know that you would love to help but you just have too much on your plate at the moment. Take some time off each week to enjoy a hobby, get some exercise, sleep late, and pamper yourself a little. You will find yourself much less stressed and once you have recharged your batteries you will be full of energy and ready to do more good in the world. 

Today I want to share with you a great website to find out where your milk comes from. I was introduced to this website through a good friend of mine Ric DeLuca who is an awesome real estate and management coach. He sends out a weekly group of technology tips and interest items and this was one that I found interesting in a Trivial Pursuit sort of way.

Many times I look in the refrigerator, sometimes late at night, and when I find something that I want to eat or drink a goes through my mind, where in the heck did this stuff come from and how did they make it?” Well here is an answer for those of you looking to find out where your milk was produced. Just go to www.whereismymilkfrom.com and you will be able to find out the dairy where you were milk was produced.

Just follow the video that I’ve posted below and it will show you exactly how to do this. I hope you enjoyed knowing where your milk comes from, and if you ever have questions regarding real estate or mortgage marketing ideas please feel free to call me at 360-450-3551 or e-mail me at Mikel@MikelErdman.com.

“I know you have a day off, but can you cover this shift for me?”

“Can you help us sew all of the costumes for the school play?”

“Why don’t you come out to my party? Everyone will be there!”

Sometimes in life we feel ourselves overwhelmed by demands on us from all sides. Our bosses and coworkers expect a lot at work, our friends expect us always to go out and have fun, and our families need us to support them. Eager to please and to avoid disappointing anyone we care about, we push ourselves to the limit to say “yes” to every request. However, being a superhero and meeting everyone else’s needs is an exhausting task that can only be kept up for so long. Soon you feel yourself missing sleep, getting overwhelmed, and not remembering the last time that you took care of your own needs. 

It’s Not Selfish to Take Care of Yourself

Of course you want to help others, and you might even feel guilty if you say no to requests to give yourself some time off. However, if you cannot help yourself and keep yourself healthy and energized, you will not be able to take care of others at all. Overwork and lack of sleep weakens your immune system, and makes you more likely to get sick. You can’t attend your child’s school play, do overtime at work, or help a friend move if you have the flu! When you run yourself into the ground and then have to spend several days in bed recovering, you are simply no help to anyone!

If this sounds all too familiar to you, it’s time to practice saying “No” to some of the requests upon you in your life so that you still have enough time to meet your own needs. Politely decline and let people know that you would love to help but you just have too much on your plate at the moment. Take some time off each week to enjoy a hobby, get some exercise, sleep late, and pamper yourself a little. You will find yourself much less stressed and once you have recharged your batteries you will be full of energy and ready to do more good in the world.