Several years ago when I transitioned my career from full-time teaching - which kept me very much on my feet and moving - to instructional design, I was worried about the transition to a more sedentary desk job and what impact that might have on my weight and fitness. I decided that I would be very intentional about keeping my baseline activity level as high as possible. Over the past two years, I've found different ways to stay active despite the 40-hours a week of screens that my position requires. A standing work station helps, as do frequent "laps" around the office (or my house on work-from-home days), walks or other forms of fitness done in the mornings or evenings in place of TV watching or lounging, and my fitness tracker, which keeps me aware of how little I actually get to move some days. My commute is about 75 minutes each way, and though I only make the commute 2 or 3 times a week, I find that I really feel it on those days. It means that I lose nearly 3 hours of my day to driving, which cuts back significantly on my opportunities to work out. Lately, as the weather has gotten warmer, I've been breaking up the drive home with a hike up a small mountain, Mt.Kearsarge, about once a week. The trailhead is almost exactly halfway home from the office, so it's a perfect stopping place. The drive to the trailhead, which starts in a charming park, affords beautiful views in and of itself. So even the drive helps me to decompress after a long day. I change at the office before I leave, drive to the trailhead, take a lovely hike, and head home refreshed and well-worked-out. Because I prefer loops to backtracking in most of my activity, and because I have to baby my knees more as I'm gettng older, I typically go up the steeper trail and return down the more gradual trail. Thus I go UP the Winslow Trail (1.1 miles) and back down the Barlow Trail (1.8 miles). All in all, it's under 3 miles, but just the right amount of fresh air, views, and sustained, heart-pounding climbs to get me through the end of a long work day. One of the benefits of hiking the same trail multiple times is setting personal goals. I've been increasing my time from the first day I tentatively climbed it in partial snow, slush, and mud, until now, when I can basically run up it in running shoes. It's a small thing, but an effective way to maintain my fitness level and leverage the beautiful location that I commute through several times a week. I hope to do more exploring of this area, including the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway, in the months to come.
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AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
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June 2019
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