Welcome back to the fifth of our ongoing presentation of Jeff Galloway’s Training and Motivation Tips! In collaboration with famed running guru and awesome dude Jeff Galloway, we here at Hokey Industries Ltd. are positively brimming with excitement to share these nuggets of awesomesauce with you, our highly discriminating readers who demand excellence at every instance.

For your reading pleasure, Jeff’s tips will be in blue, whereas my comments will be in… not blue. Rather than talk this up any more than I already have and risk alienating your wistful, joyous interest, I’ll just clam up and let Jeff take it away.

Four Ways To Energize Your Day & Clear Your Brain
By Olympian Jeff Galloway
www.RunInjuryFree.com

It’s natural to become focused on the big things in life, and worry about outside forces, building stress. A few simple lifestyle adjustments can result in greater control over attitude and energy, while reducing stress and fatigue. Yes, you can exert more control over your life, produce positive attitude hormones, and blend together body, mind and spirit by planning and taking action.

Not much to add here. So I won’t.

Walk or run, one day and a walk (or cross train) the next. While the exertion will wake up the muscles, you’re away from the phone, allowing the mind a little freedom. Most who start with a blank mental state, finish their exercise session with the day planned, and a few new ways to deal with problems. Others like to walk/run during lunch hour, while munching on an energy bar. This can clear out morning stress and prepare mind-body for the challenges of the afternoon. Many evening exercisers believe that the weight of the day’s stress is erased or contained with the after-work workout. Scheduling these outings gives you control over your existence.

Yeah you know, everyone has their favorite time to work out during the day. Mornings are probably my favorite, and I’d be a strict morning dude if I didn’t require roughly 80 hours of sleep every night. But that’s when I have the most energy, the strongest enthusiasm, and it’s when I come away from my workout with the most positive attitude, ready to absolutely ANNIHILATE any upcoming obstacles that day. Midday workouts are hard, mostly because like many I work normal office hours. I’ve done the midday rush to the gym, do some time with weights or treadmill, shower, and hurry back to the office many times, but usually it’s because I wasn’t able to exercise that morning or later that evening.

And after work? I’m usually physical and mentally drained, and absolutely LOATHING the prospect of doing anything requiring the slightest hint of exertion. But once it’s done, I feel tired but very even, extremely centered, maybe a bit physically drained but also emotionally liberated. It’s just harder to light the fuse after work than it is at any other time.

But there’s never a bad time. And if you can only get those workouts in after your work day ends, do what I do: pack a gym bag with your clothes/gear and get the workout in BEFORE YOU GO HOME. Because once you’re in your comfort zone at the end of the day, it’s agony leaving it again.

“8x400m sprints tonight? Yeah gimme a minute…”

Don’t sit–walk!. The addition of a few extra short walks, throughout the day, will energize the body and activate the mind. Park farther away from work, the food store, the transit station, etc. Many of my clients use a step counter for motivation and calorie counting. It helps to find one that is consistent and reliable (usually @ $30). Shoot for 10,000 steps a day. You are rewarded for getting out of your chair (or the couch) more often. These short walks burn fat, which adds up (up to 30 pounds a year!). The best reward is the head clearing effect, which can power you through the mid morning or mid afternoon energy crises. Even a 3-4 minute “recess” walk at work, can result in clearer thinking, more energy, and greater self-confidence.

Guilty as charged. I get my sweat on 5-6 days a week, but working in IT I find myself sitting flat on my Royal American for hours on end. Not good. Keep that metabolism rolling as much as you can.

Eat more frequently. Each time you eat, even a small snack, you’ll boost your energy level. The longer you wait to eat, the more likely your metabolism will slump into drowsiness and laziness. This also means that you’re not burning many calories. If you divide up your daily calorie budget into 6-9 snacks a day you’ll burn more fat (up to 10 pounds a year). Eat a snack every 2-3 hours, and you can feel better all day. It helps to choose foods that have (percentage of calories vs total calories) about 20% protein, about 15% fat and the rest in complex carbohydrate. This combination will leave you satisfied longer with fewer calories consumed. To experience a fat loss, consumption can be managed through websites or journals. For more information, see A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO FAT BURNING by Jeff and Barbara Galloway.

Speaking of keeping your metabolism rolling… animals are natural grazers. The whole 3-meal-a-day thing is our normal cycle, but think about it — that’s a huge spike of metabolic activity, followed by several hours of low activity, then another huge spike, then another lull, and so forth. Keeping the body burning calories over time maintains your RPMs level and active. Just do it healthy and smart. No Little Chocolate Donuts, please.

Still funny.

Help someone exercise. The psychological benefits are significant when you help someone improve the quality of their life. Offer to walk (run, hike) with your spouse, parent, friend co-worker, child—or all of the above. My books WALKING & GETTING STARTED have proven programs with motivation which can lead you and your “coach-ee” through the training.

There’s nothing like being showered with gratitude by someone whose life was dramatically improved with your effort and caring. Just be mindful, though, that there’s a very thin line between “helpful assistance” and “pushy know-it-all’ism”. And as always, what works for you may be completely deleterious for someone else. Advise, but don’t impose.

That’s it for today’s tips, gang. Hope you enjoyed them and found much to learn and think about. And if not, why here’s the video:

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