This post was originally published on March 5, 2013. I’ve made some minor updates but am re-publishing it to bring it to the forefront again. It’s important to keep your health in mind, if you want to be a healthy internet marketer.
Near the beginning of a new year is when we all are most receptive to making positive life changes.
Those gym membership and weight loss clinics have conditioned us well. Now – if we could keep this sort of thing going for the other 11 months of the year…
In the interest of starting the new year off on good footing, I thought I'd share some health tips for internet marketers. This will be a two-part series:
The first part was all about nutrition. This is the second part 🙂
Step 2 to becoming a healthy internet marketer
Exercise plays a HUGE role in overall health. I will tell you that I've been active my entire life (well, internet marketing has taken its toll on that effort, but I'm getting back into the swing of things), and believe that it's movement that keeps us young.
[tweetthis url=”http://goo.gl/CIuHPB”]Exercise plays a HUGE role in overall health.[/tweetthis]
I do believe that activity trumps poor eating habits, but why bother, right? Feed the machine of YOU good fuel and you'll perform better.
My fitness journey began in earnest at the age of 12, when I bought my first set of weights. I got them at K-mart with money I had earned doing chores. They were the plastic-covered concrete kind that came in boxes that literally fell apart if you picked them up!
My sports idols growing up were Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Kenny Stabler (RIP), and Reggie Jackson.
I not only followed their careers, I tried to emulate their work ethic. Now, Kenny Stabler led a well-known life full of parties and dubious consumption habits. And I don't know about Reggie. But just look at Zane, Arnold, and The Hulk: They all look fantastic. (I know looks can be deceiving…)
But I digress.
I am a firm believer in progressive resistance weight training. That's a fancy term for “weight lifting.” I don't believe you have to be big but being strong certainly helps in your performance for doing anything.
Strength, speed, and stamina are the 3 things that you will never be sorry you cultivated. Never. They help you in everything you do.
So enough background and theory. Let's get down to the functional aspect of this post:
- How do you get healthy or maintain your health with exercise?
- What are the steps you need to take to succeed in this objective?
First and foremost, as alluded to above, you have to incorporate resistance training in your life.
In short, resistance training is nearly any exercise you can do, but I like weight training and body weight training especially.
So this is what I suggest you do on a daily basis.
Don't worry about getting “too big” or bulky and don't worry too much about overtraining (a condition that prohibits or prevents progress due to “doing too much work” – it's mostly a bodybuilding term that is over used in ordinary every day life).
Balance is key.
DAILY FITNESS ROUTINE
Start with one set each of as many as you can do:
Each of those exercises above are links out to YouTube instructional videos. For your convenience, I've embedded the videos here.
Pushups
Pullups
Squat
Add another set of each when you're ready. You will know when. When you can do 20 of each comfortably, add weight. There are vests you can buy that have weights in them so that you can lift more as you gain strength.
For the squats, you will most likely need extra weight very soon, if not right away. Sandbags are another way to add weight. You literally get a bag filled with sand that you bear-hug as you squat down and rise up. It sounds easy but can be very tough!
When you can do 3 sets of 20 repetitions of each exercise above, add in deadlifts. Use the sandbag or a barbell for that. You can also grasp dumbbells in each hand for the squats and deadlifts.
Deadlifts
Add in some walking or running (note I didn't say jogging—it's pretty hard on the joints). Running sprints or stairs is fairly light on the joints and builds power and endurance quite rapidly. 15-20 minutes should be sufficient.
Notice I don't recommend any direct abdominal exercises like crunches or situps. I don't have any aversion to them; I just think that the above exercises done right will build your core.
If you feel the need for ab work, add in some “planks.” Again, Google them or look them up on YouTube. They are better for core work than situps or crunches anyways.
Finally, relaxation is key. Make the time to learn some meditation and yoga. They can work hand-in-hand, even though yoga can be very strenuous. When you're done, though, you'll sleep like a baby (which is obviously a misnomer to anybody with kids).
Do the above every day if you can, but at the very least 3 times a week. You're body and brain will love you.
One last thing: Every 20-30 minutes, get up out of your chair, stand up, stretch, and walk around a bit. If you feel especially lethargic, do some pushups or jumping jacks. Odds are, you're working alone (if you're an internet marketer), so go nuts.
The key is to move and keep on moving.
Next up is a bonus post from a friend of mine about office yoga. That will come very very soon. The link will be posted here as soon as it's live.
If you need more than the above, check out my buddy Wiggy's site. His workouts kick you-know-what. Chances are, however, that you're not ready for that.
YET.