Guest post by Misty Belardo-McPadden
For those of you whose work revolves around social media to build your personal brand, the demands of staying active on social media channels can zap your energy quickly. For many of us, it’s easy to get busy replying to comments on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus, curating content and replying to comments on blog posts and not notice that many hours have passed and you feel exhausted.
Most people know that in order to be more productive in life and work, you need to take good care of yourself. Even small changes in your lifestyle can have a huge positive impact on your health and well being.
I recently reached out to a group of busy bloggers, fitness influencers and people who are truly active on social media and asked them this question: What fitness regimen do you follow to keep up with the demands of building your brand on social media? I receive many useful and helpful tips. Here are their answers:
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Ann Tran – I personally unplug from social media through connecting with nature, and feel that it’s very beneficial to unplug and enjoy the great outdoors on a regular basis. When I am not traveling, I love my daily three-to-six-mile power walk for “me” time. I find that it inspires great blog post ideas. Meditating in nature is my key to controlling the unnecessary chatter. It lets me go with the flow of life and remain focused on being positive.
Glen Gilmore – Explore new cities with walks. Enjoy local foods, but fit in healthy meals. Drink a lot of water. Get some sleep. Eat a good breakfast.
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Francis Unson– Following dinner at a restaurant, go for a walk of 7.5-10 minutes in one direction before turning around and heading back. Whether you’re a food blogger or a foodie collecting Yelp or Foursquare check-in badges, your round trip walk of 15-20 minutes will not only aid in digestion, but will also give you time to reflect on the meal and dining experience you just had.
Lori Moreno-The fitness regimen I follow is always work at maintaining the best health I can, no matter what is going on around me. I make sure to always eat healthy foods, organic if possible and take the best supplements. I Drink a lot of pure water. Meditate once or twice a day. Cardio exercise as much as possible. Make sure to sleep 8 hours. And the most important is don’t allow negativity or toxicity in my life. I only allow positivity and Love.
Diana Adams – Keeping up with the daily demands of blogging and social media can be tough. I love to ride my bike, so I usually tell myself that if I reach my blogging and social media goals for the day, I get to reward myself with a bike ride. It’s great to get off the computer and feel the fresh air for at least a few minutes each day!
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Grace Cular Yee – I exercise each morning before I begin my work day. There are days when I don’t feel like working out, but I never regret the post-workout feeling and energy that I have throughout the day. I also hold myself accountable and track all food and exercise activities with MyFitnessPal. And I always drink at least 1 gallon of water each day.
Joyce Cherrier – After some personal trial and error, what’s worked well for me is to eat breakfast and workout first thing. I do this BEFORE checking my email or any social media channels. I find if I don’t do that right in the beginning of the day, before I know it, it’s noon and now I’m struggling to fit it all in. I’m also more productive and more likely to make healthy food choices when I start my day this way.
JD Andrews – I like to get up early! When I start the day when everyone else is asleep, it makes it easier to get things done and it’s (usually) always quiet. Then some running on the beach, a few Twitter updates and I always try to eat a good breakfast (plus a strong cup of coffee)! During that ‘alone’ time I can go over what I need to accomplish during the day and all that thinking sometimes sparks some creative ideas!
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Jim Hunt
- Think on Your Feet: Sitting 8 – 10 hours a day while working or writing is quietly doing your body harm. Explore use of a standing desk or schedule time to get out of your chair and move.
- H2O is the ultimate energy drink: Coffee in morn and then water down your day. Lack of water is the #1 reason for daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
- Wearable fitness technology: a Jawbone UP Band is a good way to measure, track and remind you stay on your fitness track to a healthy day.
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Sean Brown – “When Misty asked me to contribute to her article about ‘Fitness Tips To Keep Up With The Demands Of Social Media,’ I enthusiastically responded that I would, and that I’d write about the importance of scheduling your fitness regimen. While I am a marathon runner, the reality is that I am a dad & husband first, a business owner second, and a runner third. Time quickly becomes the most precious resource in your life, so how can you fit fitness into an already busy life? Schedule it.
Figure out a time that has little chance of being double booked and stick to it. For me, that’s early in the morning, but it may be noon or late night for you. I’ll give up a couple hours of early morning sleep to get my runs completed, knowing that the kids will be asleep and it’s rare to have a business meeting scheduled at 5:30 in the morning. Find that sweet spot in your day for your fitness routine and guard that time like it’s an important business call. Once it becomes habit, you’ll be well on your way to your fitness goals!”
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Dr. Lori Shemek – Research now shows that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as opposed to longer, slower cardio, has a greater positive impact on your health. This type of exercise creates a stronger heart, lungs and muscles. The human body, as research shows, responds better to intervals of activity. A common HIIT routine would be: exercise on an elliptical for 30 seconds at a very high intensity, followed by 90 seconds of a slow to moderate pace. Repeat 8 times. The beauty of this type of workout is that it not only creates optimal fitness and health, but raises your metabolism for 24 hours – burning fat. The plus side with regard to social media? It takes an average of 15 minutes only 3-4 times a week, leaving more time for social media!
Jason Eng – Find an equally dedicated work out partner, that way both of you are committed to each other to make it to the gym and it really prevents any slacking off. Also have a plan for your workout, that way you’ll make the most of your time in the gym. Keep an eye on what you’re eating as well, workout and diet go hand in hand. I find working out to be a great way to relieve stress and it even gives me some time to step away from the computer and think about what I want to write.
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Chris Fleury – Go for a walk EVERY day. Even if you work out at a gym or studio. Get outside and you can post while you’re doing it. Better yet, leave your phone in the car and talk to your kid, Significant other or a friend IRL, or just enjoy some uninterrupted alone time. Eat mainly(70% or more) raw fruits, veggies and nuts throughout your work days, so that when you go out, you’ve built up a “savings account” of unused calories that you won’t feel guilty about using on whatever you want. You won’t want to eat as much junk, once you get used to healthy eating anyway.
BONUS: You’ll feel much better and have more energy within 5 days. I promise!
Turn your phone off and keep it in the other room at night. You’ll sleep better and be less tempted to check your social feeds if you wake in the middle of the night. Plus you’ll get to sleep faster and hop out of bed quicker in the morning. Really.
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Amie Valpone – My tip is to make sure you always get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and be sure to take breaks from social media so you don’t get burnt out.
Gia Marie – Sleep is very important to me and I find that if I have a designated time for bed and I turn off all visual electronics at least 4 hours prior
to falling asleep that this is the key to keeping my mind free of Social Media which sets the tone for a good night’s sleep.
Tina Seitzinger – Since I work from home full-time, it’s important for me to keep a schedule so that I feel productive and don’t get burnt out. I work for an hour then either go outside with the kids or take care of something around the house. Being stuck behind a computer can be very draining so by getting up and moving around helps me stay energized, focused, and motivated.
Aimee Pilz – I do moving meditation as well as sitting in meditation. Moving meditation can be counting your steps as you walk, paying attention to your breathing as you walk, dancing, yoga, tai chi and various forms of martial arts with the purpose of being in the now and connecting within. My favorite is trance dancing.
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This is a guest post by Misty Belardo-McPadden–
Misty is the VP for Strategic Relations for WPBeginner and List25. She has been blogging for over 5 years. She enjoys traveling and dabbles in photography and illustration. She is also co-host at Podjam.tv
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