Here are 8 ways to make it work

1. Cars are not the only mode of transportation.
   If you must drive your car to work then park in a place that will allow you to do a bit of walking before you reach the front of your office building. An even better suggestion is to take the stress out of your commute by taking the bus or subway to work. Then get off the bus one or more stops early and engage in a five to ten minute stroll to work. This commuting option also affords you the opportunity to take a breather before the work of the day begins. Biking to work is another option. Some bus lines in some cities even allow bikes to be brought right onto the buses. If your commute to work is too far to just cycle, keep this option in mind.
2. Exercise and stretch while you work.

   There are very simple exercises that can be done at your desk even while you are busy typing away on your computer or talking on the telephone. And don’t forget the importance of stretching those muscles! Stretch while sitting and then stand up and stretch again. Muscles tense up and get stiff when they are stationary for long periods of time. This can cause you to develop a sore neck and back which is something you definitely don’t want. If it occurs on a long-term basis, it can cause chronic health problems.

3. Pay attention to the shoes you wear.

   Ladies, heels are fine but don’t sacrifice comfort for style when you are at work. Wear comfortable (but stylish) shoes when you are traveling back and forth to work and the same thing for when you are at work. It is possible to find shoes that will be good to your feet but still look good to the discerning fashion eye. But if you must wear heels, go for lower heeled ones that allow you to move quickly about your workplace. And wear shoes that won’t kill your feet after you’ve walked up and down the stairs a gazillion times a day.

4. Take the stairs.

   Take the stairs whenever possible. Walking up and down stairs provides a fantastic workout for the heart as it really gets the blood pumping. Here’s something to try, it’s called “power stepping” (just don’t try it when someone’s looking!). Walk up two steps of the staircase and then come back down two. Repeat this action for anywhere from five to ten minutes and see how invigorated you feel afterwards.

5. Start your own club.

   Encourage others in your workplace to walk on their breaks or lunch hours by starting a walking club. Even on a given day if there is only the two of you that’s still fine! Fitness is so much more fun when you have someone to share it with. And by walking and chatting with others it makes the time go by faster. You’ll enjoy yourself so much that you’ll swear you weren’t exercising at all.

6. Exercise breaks are important for everyone.

   If you are not an office worker and instead work at home, keep in mind that exercise should still be a priority. Sometimes freelancers or other at home workers have a more difficult time getting motivated as they are stressed by deadlines, bothered by distractions and also have no co workers to walk or exercise with them throughout the workday. You can still motivate yourself by looking upon physical fitness as an integral part of your busy life and planning time for it. Think of it as a meeting or a concentration booster and pencil it into your day planner and then go to it!

7. Stay at home moms should team together.

   If you are a stay at home mom you understand the pressures of raising kids and probably find little time throughout the day for your own needs. But exercise is necessary for mothers just as it is for everyone else. Get all the stay at home moms in your neighborhood together and decide on a day (or days) and time for fitness and then allow each mother to take turns being the babysitter for all the kids while the others do their thing.

8. Don’t discount the value of housework work.

   Whether you work at home or not, remember that doing simple chores around the house and yard such as vacuuming, dusting, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds burns calories and counts towards your week’s exercise quota. And running up and down steps or stairs carrying laundry, groceries, gardening supplies or kids toys is an excellent way to keep energetic and fit. Don’t discount this method of fitting exercise into your bustling daily routine.

It’ll make you fast, lean, and strong. Do you want some? Who wouldn’t? That kind of marketing is hard to resist – an estimated 40 percent or more of people living in the United States take some form of dietary supplement. The problem is that with more than 29,000 supplements to choose from, separating what you need from what the manufacturers want you to think you need can be tricky.

Sorting through the Hype
Unlike the restrictions put on food products, the FDA allows supplement manufacturers to make virtually any claim other than that their product can prevent a disease. These structure-and-function claims, as they’re called, generally suggest that a supplement improves the body’s functioning. For example, a supplement might say that it boosts immune health rather than state that it prevents bacterial infection.

The FDA doesn’t regulate supplements because they fall into an odd category. They are definitely not a food, but because they are available over the counter, they are not classified as drugs. The FDA does evaluate structure-and-function claims and will pursue a supplement company over consumer complaints or if adverse side effects occur. From time to time, the FDA will issue statements regarding specific supplements, especially if it considers them dangerous. Still, as a smart consumer, you should keep in mind that when a supplement claim sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Be on the lookout for words and phrases such as “breakthrough,” “magical,” “miracle cure,” and “new discovery.”

In addition, testing has shown that many supplements don’t contain the active ingredients that are listed on the labels. (To see how various US brands stack up, go to www.consumerlab.com.) Many supplements claim to do amazing things for your body with virtually no science to back them up, so you’ll need to do your own research to make sure you get what you pay for.

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The Sportband receive has a digital display to provide real time data: time, distance, pace and calorie burn. After a run, you simply disconnect the USB portion of the Sportband to download your run information to nikeplus.com. Genius!!!

Only bad news is that the Nike+ Sportband is not available until April 10th (retail price $59). Hang in there a few more days and get ready for some great group training runs this spring. For full product information visit nikeplus.com.

Fast. Flat. Fun.

The Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon will take place on Sunday Dec. 7, 2008 at 6 a.m. at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Fireworks start the race as runners run down the legendary Las Vegas Strip. Early registration has ended, but registration is still open for the full and half marathon. The field is limited to 20,000 runners this year, so register soon to secure your spot!

Click here for more information.

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.”

- Steve Prefontaine

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

If you’re an information junkie like me, you can hardly wait to download you latest Nike Plus data after a run. Well this summer, the wait will be over. Nike has announced that beginning this summer, Nike will be bringing the Nike + iPod experience to gyms around the world.

Nike and Apple are working with major gym equipment manufacturers such as Life Fitness, Precor, Star Trac and Technogym to make their cardio equipment Nike + iPod compatible so health club members can easily track workouts on cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes and stair climbers. Nike + iPod users will simply plug in their iPod nano into the equipment at the start of their workout to automatically record their progress. Users can then connect their iPod with their computer to upload the workout to www.nikeplus.com.

Click Here to read the full article.

Nike has a simple mission. Get kids moving and give them the means to do it. The Nike 5K for Kids is dedicated to youth physical fitness: 100% of entry fees will be donated to the local school Physical Education, play, and athletic program of your choice! Run or walk the 3.1 miles or the Let Me Play 1 Mile. The Nike 5K for Kids is a family-friendly event, so parents and children are encouraged to participate together.

Sunday May 4, 2008
5K - 8:00am
1 Mile - 9:00am

NIKETOWN
500 16th St
Denver, CO 80202

Visit www.nike5kforkids.com for more information and to register!

Living in Southern California, it’s easy to forget it’s still winter across much of the country. Here’s a playful Nike commercial to get you outside today, no matter what the weather.