Confession: I want to be that lady running races in her 90s. While I will totally admit to being a bit of a serial racer and a mileage addict, when I’m being completely honest, I run so that I can be healthy enough to run when I’m older.
That’s why I’m partnering with the American Heart Association to run their Lawyers’ Have a Heart 10K. Since I’m training for a 50K right now, I will be running the Lawyers Have a Heart race in the middle of a long training run. We’ll call that a tempo run with a long warm up and a long cool down. The location is perfect for me to run to the race, race, and run home.
In addition to running a race with the American Heart Association, I’d like to share some of their tips on improving and maintaining heart health. Their recommendations?
As runners, hitting 75 vigorous exercise minutes or 150 moderate intensity minutes is not all that challenging. That’s just five 30 minute runs a week, if all we are doing is running easy. I’m pretty sure that at least one run a week if not more likely falls into the vigorous category. So, go you! You’ve hit one of the American Heart Association recommendations.
But I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who is sometimes guilty of sitting most of the day when I’m not running. Most of the work I do, when I’m not at an actual race event, is at a computer. Some days my step count is embarrassingly low. Don’t be like me. Don’t be a running couch potato.
Here are my favorite tips for getting moving during the work day:
- Walk around the house or your office (or outside if you can get away with it) during conference calls. Admittedly this does not work well during video calls LOL.
- Walk to your coworkers’ desks to deliver information rather than calling or messaging. (I’m not admitting how often I text my kids to do things instead of walking upstairs.)
- Invest in a cardio machine that allows you to move while you are working. Obviously some work does not lend itself well to that, but I often prepare for meetings while I’m biking at my desk bike. I may also have walked slowly on the treadmill during phone calls before.
- Drink a lot of water. What does that have to do with movement? Well, if you drink a lot, you are going to need to pee a lot. Take the long way to the bathroom. (In my house this works particularly well as I don’t have a bathroom on the same level as where I work…)
- Take an actual lunch break and MOVE. Back in the days before kids, I used to go to the office gym during lunch or run on the National Mall. Now I have a bad habit of eating at my computer while I madly try to get one more thing done. Not really the best use of my time or the healthiest choice. Even if you can’t work up a sweat, you can do easier things like walk around the block or take a few trips up and down the stairs.
- Pay attention. It’s way too easy to just get involved in work and forget to move. Set a timer or get an app or pay attention to your smart watch. A couple minute break to get your blood flowing is just as helpful for your concentration as it is for your heart health.
Want more information? Check out all of the amazing resources on the American Heart Association website. And then come join me for a mid-day walk.
Disclaimer: AHA provided me with a free entry to the Lawyers Have a Heart race, but all opinions are my own.
YOu are definitely a mileage addict. I love it! Love that you will be doing the 10K as part of a longer workout. Thanks for passing along your great tips!
Thanks for sharing these great tips. While I do workout 6x a week, I sit a lot during the day for my office job. I try to get up every hour to walk a few steps and when the weather is nice, I go for a lunch time walk.
The woman in her 90s and the PA man who does a relay and the Mt Washington, NH race. Endurance dreams
Go YOU, Erika!! Ironically, for the past two days, I’ve been trying to keep my phone on me to track all my steps at work.I usually just leave my phone at my desk…so there are numerous steps (miles?) that go undocumented. If I had a FitBit or some other pedometer, this would be a nonissue…but I don’t, so it’s the good old phone (with the questionable pedometer) for now. Believe me, I drink a lot of water, so I’m up and down the hallway several times a day, en route to the ladies room. And I’m at the copier several times as well, and up the stairs to access the paper shredder. I have a convertible stand-up desk, so I try to spend some of the day standing as well. Thanks for sharing all the great tips!
When I used to work in an office, I made sure to always use the stairs from the parking garage (8 floors), and take a walk on my lunch hour. It definitely helped. Now, I do have one or two lower step days, but I make up for it on my higher activity days.
I enjoy doing mid day walks as well. I feel like I get my run done in the morning and then nothing. I plan to do the Lawyers as well if I can still walk after Ragnar a few days before. 🙂 I have not run this one yet!