A Little Dive and Save Workout

Okay, so here’s the deal. I pull out my trusty Palm, call up my BalanceLog program, and see that I am nowhere near my exercise goals for the week. I’ve had two rest days already. I didn’t make it to the gym this morning.

Yeah, there’s always tomorrow. But “there’s always tomorrow” is a philosophy I have had to reject, you know, to save my life.

Today is a day, like yesterday, full of client meetings and writing to make deadlines. That is, I’ll be on my keester for 10 hours. Tonight I meet girlfriends and my sister and my daughter and we go drink empty calories and yak until all hours. We don’t dance in this part of the world, so there’s very little likelihood of burning extra calories tonight. Last night I had a lovely and too-rich dinner with friends. I am upside down, here, goal-wise.

What to do?

I have several options now:

Option A: I can decide I’m a failure and just meant to be a big fat cow. My life and my body are not built for sleekness. What’s wrong with a little fat anyway, especially when it’s cold out? Too much control makes JuJu a dull girl. Etc. That is, I can talk myself into doing nothing.

Option B: I can blow off my clients, make less money, blow the month’s house payment, ruin important fiduciary relationships and my family’s future security in preference for a sleek physique.

Option C: I can blow off my friends and daughter, and go to the gym tonight instead of going out and catching up with people I care about very much.

Option D: I get in a Little Dive and Save Workout.


So, I choose Option D… That means it’s time to get sneaky.

I’ve talked about sneaking in workouts before. Here’s my plan for the day…

As soon as I’m done posting this article, I’m going to go up and down the stairwell in our office building. It’ll take all of three minutes. Three minutes of stairwell is no joke, folks. Then, red-faced, I’m going into the restroom for a fast set of pushups. 15 reps.

Before lunch I’ll do the stairs and then do reverse triceps pushups and one-leg lunges in the bathroom. 15 reps for the pushups and 15 reps each leg.

Before my 2 p.m. meeting, steps and 15 pushups and as many crunches as I can get in for a total 6-minute break.

If I have time, I may do one more round before running off to see the girls.

Before bed, some nice, slow stretches.

Pretty sneaky yes. Would your boss disapprove of these sorts of 6-8 minute workouts in the middle of your workday? I really, really doubt it. Particularly if you’re a desk jockey. Taking breaks from static sitting is the best possible way to ensure higher work productivity over the long run. Follow the links below if you need to support this argument at work.

Is a sneaky little workout what you need today?


JuJu


A 20-minute Strength Routine
Jonny Bowden’s Ultimate 30-minute workout
Jonny Bowden, No Time to Exercise
L.A. Times, “Turning Your Office into a Strain-free Environment”