Fit a Workout into Your Busy Day

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Photo via Autumn Goodman

We are all busy people, thanks to work, side hustles, family and even a little fun now and then! However, if you’re going to join us on the 3-Day, you need to train in order to walk those 60 miles. If you have a busy schedule ahead, use some of these tips to squeeze in a workout whenever you have a few spare minutes.

Every minute, every step, and every dollar counts in the fight against breast cancer. So, every training you do for the 3-Day will make a huge difference! Walk on!

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Photo via Drazen Biljak

Start your day off right!

  • If you have trouble getting up early for a walk, wear your workout clothes to bed and get your sweat on as soon as you wake up. This also gives you an extra five minutes of sleep in the morning.
  • If you don’t have time for a full training walk, do 10 push-ups every morning as soon as you wake up. Or choose jumping-jacks, running in place or crunches! This is a small enough commitment for each day, but still a regular enough activity to make a difference. Over time, you can add more reps or more time.
  • Do squats while you brush your teeth or your hair.
  • While you’re doing your makeup, skin care regime or other morning bathroom routine, pause between each step and do a few repetitions of some dumbbell exercises. You can even keep a set of free weights in your bathroom so you don’t forget.
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Photo via Damian Zaleski

Make the office your gym

  • Start your day by sitting on astability ball instead of your usual desk chair to strengthen your core. You don’t have to sit on it all day, but even a few hours will make a difference!
  • Keepdumbbells by your desk so you can squeeze in 12 to 15 reps of exercises like dumbbell curls and overhead presses throughout the day. You might just inspire your co-workers to do the same!
  • If you eat out on your lunch hour, or usually grab a mid-afternoon coffee, walk to the restaurant on a route that takes you a little bit out of your way.
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Photo via Bench Accounting

  • Do your own filing, copying, package pick-up or coffee-grabbing. Having an assistant or helpful co-workers is great, but they secretly derive the physical benefit of doing your busy work while you spend more time sitting still. Take any chance you can to get up and move from your desk!
  • Take calls standing up! If you spend a lot of time on the phone at work, use that time to get up and stretch your legs, or do some squats and lunges.
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Photo via Brooke Cagle

Get moving in the evening

  • If you have children who have a practice or lesson, walk around the block or the practice field during their appointment. You’ll save time driving to and from to pick them up, and get extra steps in at the same time.
  • If you must run errands like grocery shopping, you can still do lunges, toe raises, and squats at the checkout line. People might look at you like you’re silly, but who cares?
  • Dance like crazy! Loosen up after a long day at work by giving yourself 10 minutes of dance time when you get home. Grab the family, or your roommates, and put on your favorite tunes.
  • Cooking dinner? Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil or the oven to preheat. Stand about an arm’s length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter. Push in and out to get toned arms and shoulders.
  • Or, get out of the house and go on a fitness date! Set up a workout date with your significant other or invite your friends to try a new workout instead of hitting happy hour.
  • If you are catching up on your favorite shows, during commercials, jog in place or do jumping jacks. Make some space between the couch and the TV so you don’t miss anything while breaking a sweat.
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Photo via Lydia Harper

How do you fit training or working out into your daily life? Tell us the ways you get moving, and put a smile on your face, every day!

REMINDER: The health, safety and training information contained in this blog post, or otherwise provided to you in connection with your participation in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, is not intended to replace or be construed as medical advice and any such information is not a substitute for seeking medical advice or treatment from your medical provider. Before starting any exercise program or following any recommendations, advice or other instructions regarding training for the 3-Day or any athletic event, you should first consult a physician and have a physical examination.

Tuesday Training Tip: How to Get Back on Track

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Welcome back everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful long weekend full of just as much relaxation as it was full of fun training walks in the sun.

However, if you took some time off from training this weekend, and are looking to get back on track, we have you covered! It’s important to take time off, especially if you’re on vacation, to give your body a break. However, with our first 3-Day of 2017 just over 60 days away, lots of walkers are kicking their training into high gear. Here are some ways to make it a little easier to hit the trail this week!

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Write it down

Keeping a journal, making your work out part of your daily to do list, or using fitness apps all help you stay accountable with your workout schedule. You can also add weekly or monthly goals to your day planner or online calendar for extra incentives. Making training a part of the things you have to do will help keep you from canceling that day’s walk, and you’ll get an extra feeling of accomplishment when you cross it off your list.

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Do it first

Working out in the morning can be tough thanks to that pesky snooze button on your alarm. However, knocking out your fitness routine in the AM will give you more free time after work, and again, make it less likely that you get busy and have to reschedule. It also gives you an extra boost of energy to start your day with a bit of an adrenaline rush! Then you’ll be all the readier to take on the day.

Make it social

We talk about besties, teams and support groups a lot on the 3-Day, and there’s a good reason for that! Every activity is better with someone at your side, so grab a pal for your work out this week. Try a new class together, go for a walk and catch up, or just keep each other accountable with check-ins throughout the week. If you can find a friend, family member or colleague you like training with, it will make it a welcome activity in your day!

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Reward yourself

Everyone loves presents! So, plan to give yourself some! Set goals for how often you want to train in a certain week or month, or give yourself a “miles walked” goal, too. Once you hit your goal, treat yourself to something special. Pick up a ticket to your favorite concert for the summer, give yourself a spa day, or load up on fun 3-Day merch to rock on the event.

Get jamming

Sometimes you need something extra to put that needed pep in your step, especially on a morning walk,. Create a morning or walking playlist, or follow the 3-Day on Spotify, to streamline the tunes you need to get your day going just right!

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Bring a pet pal

Aside from your besties, another friend that can help keep you moving is your furry pet pals! Take your pooch, or even your cat, on the trail with you. You’ll have an energetic partner who is more than happy to be spending time with you! For safety reasons, we can’t allow pets on official 3-Day training walks, but if you’re out on your own personal training walk, your dog could be a welcome companion.

REMINDER: The health, safety and training information contained in this blog post, or otherwise provided to you in connection with your participation in the 3-Day, is not intended to replace or be construed as medical advice and any such information is not a substitute for seeking medical advice or treatment from your medical provider. Before starting any exercise, program or following any recommendations, advice or other instructions regarding training for the 3-Day or any athletic event, you should first consult a physician and have a physical examination.

 

Do you love social media? Join the 3-Day Social Stars!

 

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As the 3-Day season approaches, we are excited to announce the launch of a new program: the 3-Day Social Stars!

Any of our 3-Dayers can join this group, as long as you have a public Facebook or Twitter account. We would love to see as many Social Stars as possible. Social Stars are social media influencers (like you!) who can earn great prizes by spreading the word about the 3-Day.

Sound fun? It is! It’s also very easy!

Homepage

 

Start by going to our 3-Day Social Stars website and signing in. It’s a quick process that will get you going on your journey towards earning points and prizes! You will log in either with your Facebook or Twitter account, and receive an email welcoming you to the Social Stars.

Congrats! You just earned your first points as a Social Star! From there, you can dig deeper into our site and learn more ways to earn points. Recruiting friends to be a Social Star, visiting the 3-Day Blog or mentioning #SocialStars on Instagram are just a few of the ways you can earn points as a Social Star. In a nutshell, you can earn points for doing things many 3-Dayers have already been doing anyway!

Points

What can you do with all these points? The more points you earn, the more entries you have in our monthly drawings! We will pull random winners from the top point-earners and top recruiters every month. Prizes include fun 3-Day swag and merchandise you can rock on the 3-Day or use all year long!

You can also earn points and prizes by posting photos on Instagram with the hashtags #SocialStars and #sponsored. Show us your training walks, fundraising events, or favorite throwback photos from 3-Days past. You could see your photos featured on our 3-Day Social Stars Pic Wall, and we will be picking the top photo every month to win another special prize.

Pic Wall

 

There are so many easy ways to enter to win! You can also use the site to follow along with the 3-Day social media feeds, make your way to the3-Day website for event dates and registration, or even visit the blog. Consider it your one-stop portal to all things 3-Day!

Social Feed

Sign up today and let us know what you think of the site (or if you have any questions) in the comments.

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