In college, I took a fitness class with two awesome trainers. At the end of almost every class, we would grab two heavy weights and walk up and down the hall. This is called a “farmer’s carry.”
A few weeks after starting this class, I went to the apple orchard and carried heavy bags of apples up and down rows of apple trees. I was doing a real life farmer’s carry!
In the fitness class, we practiced functional training. The movements we did in class mimicked movements that we do in real life, like the farmer’s carry.
But what if we didn’t have to go to the gym for “real life movements” … because we did them every day?
We know that back in the good old days when most people made a living by farming, they didn’t have to go to the gym because they moved all day long while working. Baling hay, gathering crops and herding animals keeps farmers in shape as a side effect of doing their job! How productive!
Today, most of us aren’t exaaaactly in that same situation… We aren’t farmers and we are sedentary most of the day. We have to add movement to our daily lives. Usually, we take time out of our day to go to the gym or play a sport as our workout. But there is another option.
This is where “Productive Exercise” comes in.
Productive Exercise combines two of my favorites things, getting things done and getting healthy!
While spending time at the gym is awesome, Productive Exercise is different because it’s an efficient way to naturally incorporate movement into your day.
Productive Exercise is completing a task, with a side effect of exercising! Your efficiency increases because you’re getting something done AND getting in a workout!
Don’t know where to start? Let me help you. Next time you have the opportunity to do one of these things, (literally) jump on it!
- Yard work – Including, but not limited to raking, trimming trees, gardening
- Carrying heavy grocery bags
- Painting a room
- Helping someone move
- Rearranging heavy furniture
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Even getting up to change the channel instead of using a remote control adds movement to your day!
In a world of drive-throughs, sedentary desk jobs and limited movement, Productive Exercise is a practical, easy, efficient way to add exercise and movement to your day!
How do you incorporate Productive Exercise into your life?
