With these HEALTH AND FITNESS TIPS, ‘I am too busy to be fit’ can’t be an excuse anymore By Jhelum Biswas Bose

There are two kinds of people in this world—the first, who climb the treadmill every day without fail and make exercise a part of their daily lives; the second, who ‘imagine’ being on a treadmill some day. We have nothing to teach you if you belong to the first category (rather, tell us what keeps you motivated); but if you are in the second category, here are ways to squeeze out time from your busy schedule to work out. And yes, you can do this at your work place. All it needs is smart thinking and positive changes.

Do it now

You will never start tomorrow. You have to do it today. You have to do it right now, as you read this piece. That’s it. Start by just stretching your legs and arms while you are sitting; curl your toes; rotate your wrists. Drop the magazine and go take a quick walk around the room/office/aircraft—wherever you are—and then read on.

Think yourself fit

“Visualisation is a very powerful mental strategy,” says Delhi-based fitness expert Sumaya Damiya. “Research shows that if you think of an action—like you sweating it out in a gym, doing 20 laps in an Olympic-size swimming pool, or running a marathon—you increase the chances by almost 50 percent of eventually acting upon it,” she adds. So even at work, whenever you get a few minutes off, calm your breath, close your eyes, and imagine. Who knows, you could be running the next marathon in your city.

Post your resolution

Now that you have set yourself a target, challenge yourself on a social network. How many times do you check your Facebook account, tweet, or change your BBM status? “Why not use one post to talk about your fitness challenge?” suggests Dalmiya. This way, you’ll end up being pressured to prove to yourself that you can actually do this. Constantly post your progress; you are bound to be motivated as other people will also be keeping a track of your regimen.

Work out at work

Now that you’ve announced your challenge, start it. Browse the Internet for desk workouts or speak to a yoga instructor about asanas thath you can ddo in theh office.ffi To get you started,d hhere’s’ a schedule from Bazaar. (1) When you reach your desk in the morning, do kapalbhati pranayam (long inhalation followed by rapid exhalations) for 10 minutes sitting on your chair. You need to do this on an empty stomach, so have a light breakfast at least an hour before. (2) Set an alarm for both noon and evening, to remind you to stretch yourself, rotate your wrists and ankles, curl and uncurl knees, toes, and fingers, rotate your neck and get up from your chair and walk around. (3) Every three hours look away from the computer screen and do some eye exercises.

Drink up

Office spaces can be dehydrating; so drink as much water as you can, through the day. Force yourself to drink even if you don’t feel thirsty. Trick: if you are feeling hungry when it’s not meal time, drink water. More often than not, we mistake thirst for hunger. Also, start drinking hot water—it soothes your throat in the winter. You can throw in a green tea or fruit tea bag, or spike it with cinnamon. Tip: Start talking about the benefits of hot water with colleagues and friends. And when you do, tweet!

Ditch mindless eating

Snack with caution. Carry a peanut butter sandwich (your breakfast after your quick pranayam) and at least two fruits (this can be your mid-day or evening snack). At your desk, always keep a box of mixed nuts and wholegrain muesli, and have low-fat yoghurt for lunch.