The most important piece of equipment you have in your practice is your own body. You can’t afford to have it break down. And exercise does more than merely make you look good and feel good. It also helps to keep you from becoming sick. "Exercise is the best preventive drug we have, and everybody needs to take that medicine,” says sports-medicine physician, Jordan Metzl. He works at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, and he’s also the author of The Exercise Cure (Mercola).
But when can you find time to exercise? A better question might be, What can I do to ensure that I take the time to exercise? One thing you might do to kick your new habit into reality is to have your office assistant remind you regularly. Not all exercise requires sweating and a shower. Some simple movements and stretches can do a lot to ensure your body stays in good shape. Never do more than you’re comfortable doing. This should be obvious, but you would be surprised by the number of people who overdo their first day returning to exercise.
Look at it this way: When you need to go to the restroom, you take a break from what you’re doing and take care of that urgent need. If you’re thirsty, you take a sip of water or juice. Drinks like coffee or tea burn up essential vitamins, like vitamin B, so you want to take those in moderation. So, here are the tips:
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Keep your body hydrated. Drink lots of water or juice throughout the day. Sure, this will mean that you have more visits to the restroom, but that’s merely your body getting rid of the bad stuff. Think of it as exercise for your health.
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Keep a small exercise mat in your office. This should be a little larger than your body. At the very least, you can use this to help you relax between customers. Put one end of the mat against a wall in your office. Lie on your back with your legs extended up the wall and your buttocks against the baseboard. Breathe deeply for five minutes. Stress is a real killer. This helps take stress out of the equation.
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Keep a volleyball or basketball in your office. With your head at one end of your mat and an open space beyond the other end, place the ball under your tailbone and roll forward so that the ball massages your back along the spine all the way up to your shoulders. Make sure the ball is not too hard or over-inflated. It should be pliant but not too soft. When you’ve gained some skill in doing this, try to roll the ball along first one side of the spine and then the other side. Also, roll from side to side with the ball in the small of your back.
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Lying with your back on the mat, move your legs together and lift them off the floor by 2 to 3 inches. Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly separate your legs as far as you can, keeping your heels 2 to 3 inches off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Then move your legs back together, hold for 5 seconds, and then lower them to the mat. This is one of the best exercises for the lower back, because it strengthens the abdominal muscles. All too frequently, the back muscles have to do extra work because of weak abdominals.
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Keep 1 or 2 soft, rubber balls in your office each about the size of a tennis ball. Hold a ball in your hand and squeeze. Hold for a second and release. Repeat about ten times. This will help to keep your fingers limber. It will also strengthen your forearm muscles.
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On your mat, do a number of pushups. The number you do will depend on what shape you’re in. If you haven’t done pushups in decades. Start with one. If you can’t do a full pushup, with toes and hands touching the mat, start with your knees touching the mat. Don’t do too many. The objective is to stretch the body a little each day.
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On your mat, do a number of situps. Do one and only add more if your body is comfortable with it.
Bonus tip: Any movement is better than no movement. Dr. Joseph Mercola tells us that sometimes non-exercise movement can be more important than exercising. People sit too much and merely getting up from your desk or stepping away from your work can help to keep the body flexible.
As with all exercise, start out being gentle. Do a little less than you’re comfortable doing, especially when you’re just starting out.
References:
Mercola, Joseph. (1/10/2014). "Doctors Prescribe Exercise as 'Best Preventive Drug'." Retrieved 2/18/2017 from http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/01/10/exercise-preventive-drug.aspx
Spiker, Ted. (ND). "Doctor Knows Best: 15 Health Tips from Top Doctors." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from http://fitnessmagazine.com/health/doctors-tips-to-stay-healthy/
