- Treat your time to exercise as a nonnegotiable business meeting. This means signing up for a class, making an appointment with a trainer, scheduling a “meeting” with a friend to go for a walk or run, or planning specific times to go to the gym in your agenda. Just whatever you do, do not skip your workout. Treat this time like it's a work meeting or a doctor's appointment – in other words, it's okay to tell people you're “busy” when you have a workout planned.If you love studios like me (Barry's Bootcamp and Recycle are my personal favorites in Boston), you get charged a fee every time you sign up for a class and don't show up, which is always a great incentive when I'm struggling to get up in the morning for a workout.
- Never go more than 3 days without a workout. This is a simple rule I try to live by throughout the year. I find that once I let myself take a break for more than three days, it's that much harder to get back into a steady workout routine.
- Aim to get in 10,000 steps a day on most days. If you don't have an activity tracker to reference, 10,000 steps is about 5 miles. The new iPhones also include a pedometer that's easy to use for step counting as well.And remember, you don't have to do all 10,000 at once! Little things truly add up. For example, park further away at the grocery store, walk instead of drive if you can, get some fresh air, take a phone call while walking around the block. One of the reasons I love wearing Rockport shoes is because they are so comfortable, they allow me to get my steps in no matter where I am, and no matter what I'm wearing.
- Drink lots of water. The rule for this one that I recommend for people to follow is to drink half of your bodyweight in ounces of water every day to stay properly hydrated. Drinking water is so important for your everyday health and also something that we have no excuse not to do because it's so simple. It's also important to remember to hydrate before you caffeinate in the morning with at least 8 ounces of water before coffee to jump start your metabolism.
- Be accountable. Be accountable for your health and wellness and you'll find yourself stronger-willed when it comes to making healthy decisions, like opting for a side salad instead of french fries or getting out of bed in the morning and making it to the gym instead of hitting ‘snooze.' Some ways I try to stay accountable are by writing down what I eat every day, keeping track of the amount of money I spend on cancelled fitness classes, and writing down my daily step count so I can try and beat it the next day.
- Stand instead of sit when you can at work. Being on your feet burns more calories than sitting on your butt for obvious reasons. Luckily, some offices are starting to provide employees with standing desks; if your company does this then you should definitely take advantage of it, and if not, find ways to get creative. For example, set a box on top of your desk to set your computer on and stand in front of it for an hour a day instead of sit, or try taking your next phone call standing instead of sitting.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. If your office is on the 5th floor or lower, make a commitment to take the stairs instead of the elevator at least once a day. It may seem like a little thing that is common sense, but trust me – if you make a commitment to do this every day and stick to it, you'll see results in the long run.
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- Wear comfortable shoes. This is so you are more inclined to walk than take an Uber, Taxi, elevator, etc. By wearing comfortable shoes, you take out the potential “my feet hurt” or “I'm uncomfortable” excuses that would otherwise hold you back from doing these things.This has been a rule I've always found easy to follow since I've never been one to love wearing heels or dressing up. However, I have found that during my pregnancy I like to dress up now more than ever before to feel good about my expanding figure. At first this was a struggle because the heels I was opting for would kill my feet, but then I luckily discovered Rockport.The Rockport wedges, boots and booties are more comfortable than not just other heels I tried wearing, but also many pairs of flats that I own! Since my workouts are less frequent and intense, I enjoy walking when I can, and wearing comfy shoes while looking cute allows me to do so.
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