Productivity

Fitness Tips Over 40

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A lot of things happen to the body as a person approaches middle age. Muscle mass will decrease while fat levels increase. Many people also find it difficult to lose weight compared to their younger years. When this happens, it’s time to introduce a change to the normal exercise routine. Here are four fitness tips to consider for people 40 and above.

Easy Fitness Tips for the Over 40

Lift weights

To put it simply, muscle burns fat, so fitness in the middle-aged years should emphasize building muscle mass. Strength training, such as weight lifting, is the most effective way to achieve this goal. Not only does it build muscle, it also stimulates the metabolism and maintains bone health.

Keep a food journal

It’s very difficult to lose weight without counting calories. Exercise is also more effective for weight loss when it’s paired with a reduced caloric intake. People in their 40s may not be used to having to watch what they eat with the changes in their metabolism. One easy way to track calories is to keep a daily food journal, whether it’s a physical journal or a digital one through an app. This makes it easier to track calories and stay mindful about food choices.

Use weights that are the right size

When it comes to weight lifting, the key is to use a weight that is heavy enough to challenge the muscles. This will build and tone muscle more effectively than if someone chooses a lighter, manageable set of weights. As a rule of thumb, people should opt for weights that are light enough to lift for multiple sets, but heavy enough to make them struggle for the last few reps.

Stay active

In a person’s 40s, it becomes increasingly more important to move throughout the day. A person can achieve this by making small changes to their daily routine, such as an after-dinner walk, choosing to take the stairs over the elevator, or parking just a little bit farther away in the parking lot. During the workday, desk-workers should make sure to pause every 30 minutes to stand up, stretch, and walk for a few minutes.

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

Why Swimming is the Perfect Workout

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With both of my daughters being swimmers, I started adding swimming into my routine. My daughter and I wake up almost every morning to swim. Being a triathlete, I usually only swam freestyle and didn’t get the full benefit of how good of a workout swimming could be. Focusing on swimming can make your workouts more effective. 

Swimming has the ability to build up your endurance and improve your lung function. Though you may be able to run a fast mile, swimming one will involve more endurance. Many athletes use swimming as endurance training for other activities that require it. Swimming efficiently and effectively uses the oxygen from your lungs. Since you are using the oxygen in a more efficient way, your body could be storing more energy and in turn, can keep you more alert after the activity. 

Swimming can be used as a form of strength training. Since swimming requires you to be in the water, it adds resistance to the training. Unlike running, walking, or hiking, swimming gives you much more resistance since water is denser than air and gives your body more of a weight training work-out than just cardio. Swimming twice a week is similar to lifting light weights during your normal toning routine. Doing the breaststroke for thirty minutes up and down the length of the pool can tone your entire body instead of having to do multiple exercises. 

When people hear “low-impact” in terms of exercise, they tend to think it won’t be an effective way to burn calories. In terms of swimming, this couldn’t be more wrong. Swimming absolutely saves your joints from the high-impact that can come from running and walking but it doesn’t cost you the calories you think you might not burn. Swimming can burn at least 500 calories during an hour session. It all depends on the intensity in which you are swimming. 

You may be looking to switch up your workout routine by adding something new or you need a low-impact workout due to an injury, no matter what your reasoning, swimming is a perfect workout. After running multiple triathlons, I thought I was in amazing shape. Then I get into the pool to race my daughter and start figuring out that I am out of shape in the water. Once we consistently added swimming into my morning routine, I started building the endurance and strength to push through and come close to beating her. I continue to push myself and swimming is definitely benefiting my health. So no matter what your end goals are, swimming could be the perfect workout for you! 

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

Challenging Yourself: What I’ve Learned From My Daughter

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You come to a point in your exercise regimen where your results become stagnant or even start regressing. You wonder how this is happening? – You are going to the gym almost every day. The problem could be that you have fallen into the comfort zone routine trap. You are checking off the miles/reps/laps, but your effort is less than optimal, your body says, “Hey I’m good, I have done this before, – no changes needed.”  You are comfortable, but you absolutely need to invest in a change in order to progress physically.  

Many people don’t take this step or make this push because it’s uncomfortable, it’s hard. Why disrupt a rhythm, especially when it is becoming easier. They’ve finally hit a great rhythm and things are starting to become easier. That is the perfect time to start the challenge. Stepping out of the comfort zone is only going to further your improvement and help reach your goals of a healthier lifestyle.  Only through new stressors can we have the resultant adaptive gains.

Personally, I became somewhat stagnant in my swim, bike run workouts over a lengthy triathlon career. I did way too many of the same workouts over and over again, the workouts were like “comfort food” yet I needed more of a variety of Physical nourishments to make any significant progress.

I recently had a revelation; found through my 16-year-old daughter.

Beginning on January 1st of this year, I began a routine of early morning swims with my daughter at an outdoor pool in Colorado. With the sun coming up, a snow-covered landscape and the steam rising it was magical. However, ‘magical’ was far from the correct adverb to describe the workouts, – more accurate would be excruciating, exhausting and yet exhilarating.  I can hang with my daughter on freestyle, but not only is she talented but also smart and she knows I cannot keep up on Butterfly, so she does what all good teenage daughters do – she punishes me with a heavy butterfly focused workout.

As a triathlete, I had swum almost no butterfly previously and she obliterated me, my body would be absolutely screaming in order to make the interval and she would be grinning at the wall waiting for me.  Out of my comfort zone was an understatement. But I continue to push through as I wanted to be able to keep up, have a stretch goal and ultimately gain transformative fitness.

So if you’re a freestyler, swim butterfly; if you are a runner, swim; if you are a yogi, lift …. Vary your routine, each and every time – vary the intensity vary the exercise, vary the sport.  Whatever it is, explode out of your comfort zone and you will be rewarded with real fitness gains,

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

The Best Exercises After a Full Day of Sitting

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Who would have thought that one of the most demanding aspects of modern life would be something as simple as sitting? With so many people stuck behind a desk all day, it’s easy to fall into the trap of a sedentary lifestyle. This kind of lifestyle leads to long-term problems like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Fortunately, just 15 minutes a day can be all it takes to reverse the damage done by sitting for prolonged periods. These 3 exercises are proven to help improve posture and get those legs moving.

Planks

A favorite amongst junior high PE teachers everywhere, many hate the plank. However, this ab and core workout is one of the best when it comes to improving posture and building the core muscles.

To do a plank, start by laying on the floor in a straight line. Then prop up the upper body with the elbows and balance on the elbows and toes.

Maintaining a straight back is the most important part of this exercise. Doing so keeps the core muscles engaged and strengthens the back muscles. Try to hold the plank position for 30 seconds.

Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

Sitting has a profound effect on the hips, and stretching them out is important after a long day in the office chair. Employing this stretch is a great way to effectively limber up those aching hips.

Start by putting one knee under the hip and one foot on the ground. Both knees should be at 90 degrees. Engage the abs and flex the glutes while slowly lunging forward. Focus on maintaining a straight-backed posture and don’t push too far forward. The stretch should be immediately felt in the hips.

Squats

Many are familiar with squats. They’re one of the most common workouts and a hallmark of strength-building routines. However, one doesn’t need to load up the barbell to reap the benefits of performing squats.

Body-weight squats recruit the core and most of the leg’s major muscles. This leads to stronger legs overall and improved posture, while also providing the hip extension necessary after a day of sitting.

Squats are simple but highly effective. Just keep the back straight and focus on form.

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

Strengthening Communication Among Remote Teams

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Remote teams are a reality for many companies with the rise of the internet and technology. However, remote working can present challenges to communication that in-person work does not have to deal with. Here are some tips on strengthening communication among remote teams.

Create a Company-wide Communication Policy

The most successful remote teams are the ones that have a clear understanding of how to communicate with each other. A company-wide communication policy ensures everyone has a shared understanding of the expectations for communicating, both internally and externally. In addition, there should be an established crisis plan detailing who communicates with whom during emergencies, who oversees those communications, and who makes decisions based on the received information.

Remote teams should have a shared understanding of the company’s culture

Every remote team should have a shared understanding of the company’s culture, even if they’re composed of members from different countries or locations. To do this, a company needs to make sure that the employee values get aligned with the company’s vision and mission statement. Having a shared understanding allows proper communication and fewer misunderstandings.

Create an internal wiki to house

It is important for a business to create an internal wiki and include all necessary information about the company. The remote team will refer to the shared expectations and see how it applies to them directly. This information allows for clarification of the things expected from each position or role. It will also allow for a better understanding of the responsibilities of each member.

Encourage remote employees to attend in-person meetings

Remote employees who attend in-person meetings will understand the company’s culture and allow for more close communication with the managers. It will also make it easier to understand and follow their duties and responsibilities.

If employees have a good relationship among themselves, it will be easier for them to establish connections and relationships. This connection and relationship-building in person give the employee.

One of the best ways to make remote teams feel like they are part of a cohesive team is by providing them with a company-wide communication policy. When remote teams have clear guidelines for communicating with one another, it helps build trust and handle companies’ duties effectively.

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

How Physical Activity Can Ward Off Depression

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Depression rates are on the rise with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing. Mental illness, in general, was already a growing problem before the pandemic, but the global crisis greatly exacerbated the issue.

Those who suffer from depression might feel as if there is no way out. In truly serious cases, they might even feel like there’s no point to anything. They see life as meaningless, and they possibly even see themselves as meaningless.

There are treatment options available. If you think you’re suffering from depression, you can visit your doctor for an official diagnosis. They can also refer you to therapists and possibly prescribe you medication.

Talk therapy has grown in prevalence in recent years as many elements of society have opened their eyes to the importance of mental health. The boom in video chatting options thanks to the pandemic has made online talk therapy a growing possibility.

Prescription medications are often used in conjunction with talk therapy. They can help rewire pathways in the brain that help people feel better for the short-term until their therapy helps them out of their darkness. Medications are usually tapered down slowly after progress is made in order to give patients the best chance of making it long-term.

There are other things that can help with depression that don’t involve doctors. One of them is exercise, as there is research showing how physical activity prevents depression.

In fact, physical activity doesn’t just ward off depression. It actually does it in two different ways. One of them is by minimizing the symptoms of depression, whereas the other is actually helping the brain change more easily.

Depression is like other diseases in the fact that treating symptoms can help a patient feel better. Feeling better is the definition of success against depression, but it also helps patients feel stronger and more able to fight for themselves against anything afflicting them. The confidence and endorphins that one feels with exercise tends to make people who engage in this physical activity feel much better about themselves.

On the inside, physical activity has very positive benefits for the human brain. Much of depression is feeling stuck in patterns of negative thoughts and feelings. These are often repeated and even echoed. A more agile brain can start doing things differently.

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

Should You Set Big Audacious Fitness Goals, or “BAG?”

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To borrow a concept from American author, speaker, consultant and business management expert Jim Collins, should one set Big Audacious Goals (“BAG”) for personal fitness?  Anyone can set a fitness goal, but what about a transformational Big Audacious Goal?

OK, let’s start by unpacking the pros and cons, first addressing the latter. Cons-you may burnout, get hurt, feel frustrated, become exhausted, and ultimately succumb to self-doubt. It’s true; all of this could happen. But let’s look at the potential pros.

What could happen if you really stretched your goals? Think transformation; a sense of new found confidence, inner strength, improved blood panels, even the ability to lift heavy things you never thought possible, maybe.  The ability to leap tall buildings, probably not.

Let’s talk accountability. I’ll start by going public with my Big Audacious Goals:

  • Run a mile < 6 minutes
  • Swim 400 meters < 6 minutes (500 yards < 6:41)
  • Bike 40k < 60 minutes
  • Strict back squat at 1.5x body weight load for 10 reps
  • Deadlift 2x body weight for 10 reps
  • Clean and Jerk body weight load for 3 reps
  • 20 strict (chin over bar) full range of motion pull-ups

While completing these exercises individually may not be uber “audacious” for me, having the fitness to do all of them within say a 30-day period certainly feels so. More importantly, it drives me towards self-optimization for muscular endurance, aerobic capacity and strength. BAGs give us distinct and clear targets to work towards. For me, that serves as a motivator unlike any other.

The regimen above will not be appropriate for most, but consider what your limits are, and where you can push beyond those perceptions for above average growth, both mentally and physically. Remember, mastery of one’s own vessel is a mission filled with reward.

Accordingly, what is your BAG?

This article was originally published on RobUrbach.com

The Time Management Practice of ‘Time Batching’

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Modern workers are expected to juggle multiple projects and responsibilities every day. Switching between different types of work costs time, brainpower, productivity, and even happiness. Time batching is a method that promotes flexibility in completing a variety of tasks while capitalizing on the momentum by batching similar types of work together.

When people multitask and switch between disparate tasks, they have to shift their goals and activate new job rules. Moving plans is, simply put, deciding to make task A instead of study B. Regulation activating comes after the goal is set when the brain turns on the processes necessary to achieve the new goal. Each time a worker switches between tasks, they lose time and momentum.

The basic idea of time batching is simple—an individual looks at their tasks for the day or week, sorts them into buckets and blocks of time to complete tasks in a specific bucket—the buckets group similar goals together, minimizing the amount of effort spent on rule activating between functions. The time batcher then sets aside time to do each batch of tasks. There isn’t a magic formula for which buckets the time batcher should use or how long their working windows should be. It’s completely customizable from person to person.

Some time batchers find success in dividing their tasks into shallow and deep tasks. Superficial jobs are things like responding to emails or data entry work—things that require less brain power to complete. Deep duties might include creative work or strategic planning—heavier lifts that may require more mental resources.

Another option for batching time is to group tasks by the outcome, not level of effort. For example, one-time butcher’s buckets might look like this.

  • Administrative tasks like managing appointments and tracking time
  • Project communications, including project-related emails and meetings
  • Creative work where the individual comes up with new ideas
  • Strategic work like project planning and goal setting

Everyone’s time batching buckets will look different. The beauty of time batching is that it’s a customizable approach to time management that each individual can tailor to suit their needs. Batching time wisely allows workers to get more done in less time, increasing productivity, happiness, and job satisfaction.

Negative Thoughts to Throw Away Right Now for Increased Productivity

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Some thoughts can kill the focus on people and make it difficult for them to complete simple tasks. Some thoughts distract people’s minds making them feel lazy. It is hard to tell that someone is losing focus. Some habits control how people prioritize their work, and thus it is imperative to abandon negative thoughts. To embrace change, people need to examine the beliefs that drive their actions.

By examining thoughts, people can identify outdated stories and beliefs that hold them back. How do stories, views, and thoughts impact our productivity? According to a reputable author, Byron Katie, some thoughts make us feel sick, heavy, overwhelmed, and discouraged, to mention a few. On the contrary, other thoughts make us feel free, encouraged, spacious, and energized to handle our tasks.

According to neuroscientific, some thoughts put us on high alert. They stimulate the amygdala causing the brain to release cortisol—a stress hormone. The hormone is the culprit for sweaty palms and increased heart rate. When we are in this state, our brains are compromised, making it daunting to think critically.

If you are ready to change your beliefs and thoughts, here are common ways to challenge your mind. 

“I don’t have time.”

This thought makes us think that we don’t have time to attend to essential tasks. We tend to lose control over our calendar, resulting in uncompleted tasks. This thought can manifest and make it hard for us to wake up even after an alarm clock goes off. We lose body alertness and eventually wake up feeling exhausted.

“It’s difficult.”

There is an inward voice that keeps telling us it’s challenging to execute a specific task. We should abandon the thought and view every situation as a learning opportunity. This helps us to move out of a fixed view and develop a growth mindset.

“I might…. I should”


Whenever we use this language, we tend to assume that we are not liable for whatever happens. Instead, we should switch to a potent language that puts us squarely in the choice. We should regularly use language such as I will, or I choose to. If possible, we should create a list of negative thoughts that hold us back. We are encouraged to make our own list and change one thought at a time.