How much time is this going to take?

The government periodically updates it recommendations as to how long and how should exercise. I have been usually disappointed in their guidelines as they seem to be catering to the lowered aspirations and busy schedules of the typical American. Honestly, it seems like they are sometimes giving suggestions more befitting someone getting over a severe illness or a 90 year old based on such minimum requirements.

The recent standards are a little more realistic. For example, it suggests that for slimming down, you need to do a MINIMUM of 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise to see any real, lasting benefits. This is a stark change from past guidelines that encouraged people to take a stroll around the neighborhood (frequently after a huge dinner) a couple of times per week. Remember, in many countries around the world, walking is not exercise. It is transportation. I am sure people in these countries would have a nice chuckle at the thought of Americans considering a 20 walk around a gated community as some major expenditure of effort.

The president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine, James Pivarnik, had a great quote that spells it out in simple terms: “If you want to get fitter today, you have to somehow overload where you are now.” If you are not feeling overloaded, you probably are not doing enough. You will only be able to maintain a minimal level of fitness when performing a minimum level of effort. You know that is true when it comes to your career, and it applies here as well.

To take a look at the latest recommendations and how they can help you achieve your goals, read this article from MSNBC.

30 pounds less of Thom

Thom Singer is an old friend of mine from my days living back in the The Great State of Texas. He is a highly successful businessman, consultant and visionary with a knack for staying ahead of the curve year after year.

He had a great post on his blog about the challenges of staying fit when it seems like your Outlook calendar and its evil helpers, appointment reminders, and running your life for you.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Wellness and the Busy Person

Tip of the day: be careful with tips

Lots of people ask me for tips on how to start and exercise program or improve their performance. I have found that sending them articles, detailed plans or scientific research quickly gets ignored. Most people want tips, checklists or some other abbreviated form of knowledge that cuts to the chase. I am not sure if this is due to our society's short attention span or if people just want a simple, easy way to accomplish a arduous task.

So, I will offer tips on how to eat, stay in shape, get motivated and so on. Tips work well when they are used as summations of concepts that will change your behavior. They do not do the work for you. In fact, a tip should be an action item that requires an immediate response.

Consider this great passage from an article in Psychology Today:

"When do tips work? When we do. Change takes focused attention on relevant facilitating behaviors (hopefully these are the behaviors captured in the tip), as well as a great deal of sustained effort. We all know how this goes - two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, three steps back, two steps forward . . . a moment of success . . . then back to the work at hand. New habits are established slowly and they are hard won and well deserved. Anyone who tells you anything else is trying to sell you something, and there's lots of that going around - fitness without real exercise, diet without fewer calories consumed, increased well being without a conscious choice to live differently."\

What if someone asked you how to become a successful rainmaker in your career and you said, "Here are a few tips: work hard, stay late, impress the boss and make a difference in the business. That's all there is to it." You would not find it very helpful despite it being accurate. Do not think simple tips on how to get in shape of any better. There is a great deal of effort behind each of those items, and there is no shortcut to success in any endeavor.

Take the gym with you

If you are working long hours, weird hours or seemingly 24 hours a day, getting to the gym can be too stressful or unproductive for my fellow rainmakers. By the time you take the elevator, walk a few blocks, check in, change clothes (and then reverse the process after you are done), you have wasted an enormous amount of time. But, that is no excuse not to exercise. One hundred years ago, there were no gyms, but people were very active. I assume you are not pushing a plow or pitching hay up into barn like our more active forefathers, so we have to find other ways to keep moving.

Take a look at this workout plan from Men's Fitness. It contains routines and exercises that you can do with and without fancy equipment available.

Print out two copies. Keep one in your suitcase outside pocket and one in your top desk drawer at the office.

Trash day

I have a simple task for you today, but you are probably not going to like it. There is a conspiracy going on. It is in your cupboard.

There is a bunch of snacks, treats, and goodies that seem very innocent, but they are secretly plotting against you. They want to keep you fat, your energy level low and continue to challenge your self esteem. Too bad you have hands, and they don't.

Open up your cupboards RIGHT NOW and throw out every single thing that should not be in a healthy person's house. These are the excuses I expect to hear (and why I am not listening to them):

1. Yes, food is expensive, but you are successful and can buy more.
2. Yes, everyone deserves a treat now and then. But, you are purging and starting over. Go replace it with healthier alternatives tomorrow.
3. Yes, you can do it later, but you won't. Do it now.
4. Yes, it seems wasteful, so go write a check for $100 to your local food bank to make yourself feel better.
5. Yes, this is extreme, but all change starts with a sudden transformation.

Trust me, you will feel better starting tomorrow.