Fit a Workout into Your Busy Day

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

Easy Team Building Activities

On the 3-Day, we are all part of one big family. We walk, eat, cheer, glamp, share and succeed together. However, many of our 3-Dayers walk as members of teams within that larger family (teams ranging from 1 member to 119!), and we love seeing you all bond and thrive over the course of 60 miles.

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To make your team as strong as possible, we recommend doing a few team building activities leading up to the 3-Day to get bring your teammates as close as possible. This is especially important for teams where not everyone knows each other. We have some simple and fun ideas to get your next team meeting off on a fun note!

Human Knot

Tried and true, this is never a bad idea, and could be a fun way to start each of your team meetings. Starting in a circle, participants connect hands with two others people in the group (but not anyone next to them) to form a human knot. As a team, they must then try to unravel the “knot” by untangling themselves without breaking the chain of hands. Time yourself each meeting and see if you get better the longer you work and train together.

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Photo Finish

The aim of the challenge is to set up a “finish line” or your training walk, and get the whole group to step across it at exactly the same time. Strike a pose, or take a leap! If one person is out of sync, then you must start over again. This activity involves planning, communication and timing. Create your own finish line, and make it as exciting or intricate as you like! Then, set a timer on your camera and capture the action. This is great practice for crossing the finish line at the end of your 60 miles.

Human Shapes

Working together as a team, the group must use their bodies to form letters and words. You can lay on the ground to form them, transform your body while standing, or even use your fingers to make words together! Spell out your team name, the name of the person you’re walking for, or phrases like “The 3 Day” and “More Than Pink.” Take photos and tag us on social media! We might just re-post!

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Shoe Tower

Just completed a long training walk or a team shoe fitting for the 3-Day? Make use of your sneakers! Using the shoes available to your team, split into two sides and try to construct the tallest tower of shoes. The team with the tallest tower wins the challenge!

Geocache Adventure

A lot like a scavenger hunt, a geocache adventures rely on clues, but has the added level of using GPS coordinates to find an item. There are several apps available to use on smartphones that you can use for geocache-ing. The team captain can hide clues or 3-Day treats in locations around a park or your local town. Then, split into pairs and go off hunting! The pair that hits all the spots first, and gets to the “finish line”…wins! This helps team members work together to achieve a specific goal, just like you will on the 3-Day.

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Group Timeline

Using poster board, a bulletin board, or a large piece of paper, create a timeline. Have it start on the birth year of your team’s oldest member, and go up to this year. Mark each year on the timeline. Then, also mark important years for Susan G. Komen and the 3-Day, like the first year there was an event in your city.

After that, give your team members four slips of paper, and ask them to mark down four important moments in their life. Let them pin them to the timeline. This will help your team members learn more about each other, and about the history of the 3-Day.

What are your favorite team building exercises? Tell us in the comments!