Essential Priorities for Busy People

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ESSENTIAL PRIORITIES FOR BUSY PEOPLE. Being busy is not unique. In fact, it’s commonplace these days. I would argue that much of our business is due to poor time management, especially with smart phone usage. Of course pointing this out doesn’t really help anything. But with that said, it is crucial to realize that the only person that will help you find more time is YOU. It’s not a crime to be good to yourself. And being good to yourself doesn’t necessarily require more free time. However, it does require quality time with attention to detail, especially with regards to the management of time and energy. Prioritize SLEEP first. After AIR & WATER, sleep is the foundation for everything. DIET is the next big area of concern. The most realistic approach that I’ve found is to aim for at least one meal a day that is close to perfect. Something simple, convenient and repeatable. Think oatmeal w berries, a smoothie, salad, healthy sandwich, etc. The last major priority of health is daily MOVEMENT. You can’t NOT move. Seriously. It’s about way more than just calories and vanity. This is about survival. My best recommendation is to build more WALKING in to each day. When possible, do it while at work so you get paid for it. If that’s not possible, aim for 10-30min of dedicated walking sometime before bedtime. Also, try your best to get at least one STRENGTH workout in each week. You could do this with only 2 exercises in less than 15 minutes. It helps keep muscles from withering away, which does help with metabolism and many other vital functions within the body. Don’t let everything go to sh*t because you’re busy. You’ll regret it later. Be mindful and manage your time well. #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #timemanagement #timemanagementtips #limitsmartphoneuse #timemanagementskills #healthminimums #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Nov 4, 2019 at 8:43am PST

BSSB does Halloween

 

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Happy Halloween 🎃 Best time of the year! Yesterday we had more rain and wind. Cloudy all day. This morning was 34° with a windchill of 26. The skeletons were cold but otherwise very nice. Quite unusual for Austin. It was 95° earlier this month. I don’t ever remember it being in the 30’s in October, even growing up in North East Texas. #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #wellnessaustin #blueskystrongbox #carltonweather

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 31, 2019 at 7:32am PDT

October at the BSSB

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#blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 10, 2019 at 9:02am PDT

Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4/7/8 Breathing Method

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Dr Andrew Weil’ 4/7/8 breathing method. Read this. Zoom in. In fact, do a screen grab THEN zoom in on your phone. This page gives the details straight from the source. Use it. I hope it helps. I use it regularly. #bssbbooks #drandrewweil #478breathing #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #relaxationtechniques #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

Use the 4/7/8 to win the war against Stress.

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LEARN TO BALANCE OUT STRESS WITH THE 4/7/8 BREATHING METHOD. This is borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil MD. He recommended this as a way to relax both the mind and the body. If practiced regularly it may do much more. Modern living can be very stressful and busy. Add to that something like regular intense exercise (also a form of stress even though it’s considered good), the body may need focused relaxation to balance out everything. This is where breathing/relaxation techniques can be helpful. The 4/7/8 method is easy. Get into a relaxed position. Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind the top front teeth. Keep it there the entire time. Next, inhale 4 seconds through the nose. It’s ok if this is challenged. Do what you can. After the inhale try to hold that breath for 7 seconds. Again, do what you can. Finally, exhale very slowly through pursed lips for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 times total. The main idea is exhale longer than you inhale and to relax while doing it. This is great to do upon waking or to help you relax before sleep. It could be done anytime. I prefer to do it after a workout or if I wake up restless during the night. For you science-minded individuals, this is said to help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and quiet down the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). It takes less than 90 seconds. I I think it’s worth trying. I will also post a photo in my very next post from the book I first found this in. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #drandrewweil #478breathing #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:44am PDT

Inspiration from Centenarians

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This inspires. 100+ years young. Look at them go. #seniorsprinters #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 22, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

Nutrition, Start with these: A Dark Leafy Green, Blueberries & Flax Seed (ground up/milled)

 

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Fruits, vegetables and many other “plant” foods are important for overall health. They provide many nutrients not found in other foods. Think of them as earth’s natural medicine. It doesn’t mean that you can’t eat and enjoy other foods. Just remember that for optimal health, fat loss and longevity, plant-food is vital. The typical American diet is stocked full with sugar, salt, protein and fat, often entirely too much to be considered healthy. Too much regular exposure to salt and sugar in food tends to make many fruits and vegetables taste bitter and/or bland. Keep this in mind when trying to add more “plants” to the diet. It may take time for the taste buds to adjust. With that said, make no mistake, we were designed to eat plants. Lastly, this week’s recommendations were: 1)a dark-leafy green 2)blueberries, 3)ground-up flax seed (flax meal). Sure you could eat these on their own but it might be a bit awkward and harsh if they happen to be new to you. Google some different ways to incorporate each of them over time. Experiment. This may even require learning to make new meals that include them. Start with just one at a time. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just aim for consistency. Take care of your body, we only get one. Fruits and vegetables are essential for this. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #fruitsandveggies #nutritionasmedicine #HowNotToDie #darkleafygreens #blueberries #flaxseed @nutrition_facts_org @precisionnutrition #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 15, 2019 at 5:29am PDT

Resting Heart Rate is important…

 

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RESTING HEART RATE. This number can say quite a bit about health and fitness. Keep in mind, it doesn’t say everything. It is pretty easy to check. You can download a free app and check it using your phone. The best time to check it is obviously while RESTING. Lol. So first thing in the morning is best (before sitting up) or lie down for 2-5 minutes then check it. Check it for a few days, or even a week. Just get an average. Don’t overthink it. The goal is to get this number under 60. It’s ok if it’s not. The average person is in the 70’s. You could be higher. How do you get this number down? Get better rest. Exercise regularly but not too hard or too long. For most folks, I recommend daily walks for 30minutes. 1-2 weekly resistance training sessions (45min max). Get a minimum of 7 hours each night of quality rest. Avoid unnecessary stress whenever possible (this one may be the most challenging but worth the effort.) PS if you want to do intense HIIT exercise, i highly recommend getting that number down as quickly as possible by doing lower intensity work for a while. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 5, 2019 at 7:25am PDT

Personal Growth

 

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PERSONAL GROWTH. Sounds about as fun as the first time I heard the phrase “Adult Contemporary Music”. But the idea of GROWTH is a good thing and something to be desired. It is essential. Sure we could all stay the same but then we also run the risk of losing that sacred fire, the magic fuel that keeps us going each day for a lifetime. When I was coming up we called this predicament “burnout”. We can do better than that. We should each want to do better than that. It starts with the desire. Making any improvement in any area of our lives will likely translate positively to other areas. Think of it as Enrichment or Nourishment. I also really like the concept of Cultivation. Trust me, I dislike the sound and seriousness of adult topics like “Personal Growth & Development” as much as anyone but once the cheesy catch phrase is removed the beauty of the IDEA will hopefully, in time, ring clear with inspiration. There could be a million reasons why any one of us might seek change. Just remember – any ONE reason will do. Why not get on that today? #blueskystrongbox #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #personalgrowth #personslgrowthanddevelopment #makingchange #evolve

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jul 29, 2019 at 12:29pm PDT

New Weekly Tipz! This week i want to try and simplify exercise or how you may look at it. When you see a “new” or an “old” exercise, you must learn to see what the body is actually doing, NOT what equipment is being used or anything else ab out it. There is nothing that special about any equipment or mode of training. It’s all about what the body is doing and how it is moving. Pay close attention to that, and in time you will see that most exercises fit into just a few categories. Today i will show you some simple examples…