It’s been roughly two months since I moved to Puerto Vallarta, a vivid city on the west coast of Mexico. During my first days over here, I was so excited about the different sports and fitness locations (beach workouts, outdoor boxing or basketball, surfing, etc.) that I created a varied but complicated workout schedule – that I even wrote a newsletter episode about.
8 weeks in, I have to admit that I failed. I did not play basketball on this and that day, I did not box on this or that other day, and I didn’t even go surfing once.
So yeah, I did not keep my schedule. My sister and a friend of mine came to visit. My work days started at different times of the day. Sometimes I woke up early and had enough time to go boxing it the morning. Sometimes, it was just enough time to get in a quick home workout before I had my first call of the day. And on the bad days, I started my day with the laptop on my lap (not recommended).
I guess, my life at the moment is too varied and flexible to live up to a varied but rigid training schedule.
However: Even if I did not keep my schedule, I kept my fitness habits. I worked out or did some kind of sport every single day since I’ve been here. Mostly, I even did something in the morning and another thing in the evening.
At first, I was a little unhappy with myself that things didn’t go as planned. But then I realized it didn’t matter at all. I am active. I am consistent. And I feel great. Fit and flexible. I’ll now continue with what has held me fit over the past 15 years: I adapt my training to my lifestyle, not the other way around.
The easiest way to do this is by making 1 hour of physical activity a daily habit.
And that is also what I’d recommend to every remote worker out there. If you think that that’s a lot then I’m sorry but you’re wrong. We sit way too much, and we move way too little. A daily 1-hour movement habit compensates for the natural movement we’re lacking.
The cool thing about it is that you can be flexible in terms of time and type of activity. Here are a few things you should keep in mind though:
- Do at least 2 solid full-body strength workouts per week, spread evenly over the week
- Intense workouts or activities are perfect for days you feel fit
- Long walks are great for days you feel weak or tired
- Never skip your movement habit twice, keep the rhythm
- Find workouts and activities you enjoy to stay consistent
Dedicating an hour a day to your health and well-being is crucial if you want to live your remote life to the fullest. If you’re like me and you enjoy being free and flexible, then a daily 1-hour movement habit is just perfect. Try it out!
