Best Fitness Tips

Be a good role model for your family by eating healthy (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat foods) and exercising.
If children see you being physically active and having fun, they are more likely to be active throughout their lives. Add exercise to your family time by involving everyone in activities like hiking, biking, dancing, basketball, or roller-skating. You can also do a lot of walking during trips to the zoo, park, or on local errands. Keep your body moving and focus on fun.
Remember, the healthy habits you and your family practice today, will benefit everyone in the future.
While cardiovascular activity is essential to good health, muscle strength is important too.  The core muscles around your trunk and pelvis help your lower back, hips and abdominal muscles work together to increase balance and stability. Having strong core muscles can reduce lower back pain and make everyday activities easier, including your comfort level while working at your desk. This article explains why building core strength is so important to your overall health.
Cater to your core muscles this week with some strengthening activities. Many can be done at home without any special equipment. Be sure to use proper posture to reap the most benefits.
Sleeping soundly can be a problem for many people, but did you know that regular physical activity at the right times may help your sleep better? People who exercise 4 days a week report improved sleep quality, longer sleep, and less time falling asleep. That being said, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that you finish your workout at least 3 hours before you plan on going to bed.
Sleep soundly this week by adding exercise to your morning, afternoon or early evening. Track your progress by keeping a sleep journal and noting how you feel when you wake up in the morning.  Need additional sleep assistance? Check out A!Sleep an Alice! Health Promotion sleep initiative that is available to all Columbia students, staff and faculty.

Being active doesn’t mean having to spend hours at the gym.  You can find ways to work exercise into your life doing things that you love.  Pick an activity that you enjoy doing, like going for a walk, gardening, dancing, or something new you haven’t tried before.  You’ll be getting your daily exercise and barely noticing it!

Having a consistent fitness routine is an easy way to make activity part of your daily life. When planning your exercise, aim for SMART moves (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely): pick a time, place and activity that fits into your life and stick with it! Find three places in your schedule during the week where you can fit in fitness. It may be in the morning, during your lunch break, before dinner or in the evening. Recommit to these times at the end of the week, or adjust your work-out schedule if need be. 

Also, you can try to sneak in exercise whenever you can by getting off the subway one stop earlier, taking the stairs, or doing squats or crunches during a TV commercial. You’ll be surprised by how quickly these small changes add up.  In the course of a week, try to spend about a half hour, two or three days out of the week, doing something you love that is physically active. 

Don’t worry if you can find the time for 30-60 minutes of physical activity; exercising for a shorter amount of time twice a day can be just as effective as doing your whole workout at once. A study at the University of New Hampshire found that exercising twice a day for 15 minutes can also improve lung capacity more than a single, half hour session. Plus, it's a great way to get in all your activity if one session seems too daunting!

Break your activity into two sessions this week. Try getting in half your workout in the morning or during lunch and the other half after work or back at home. Shorter sessions mean you can still take care of your to-do list! Also, check out some of these time-saving exercise tips.