It's the Little Things....

I used to be the guy that looked for that close parking space whenever I head out but one day I had an epiphany. I started thinking by parking further away how many extra calories I would expend over the course of a day, week, month, year, decade, and lifetime. Sure, the distance might be only an extra one or two hundred feet a day but compounded over a year’s time line it adds up to miles. Then I went on to think if I continued to do that over a decade how beneficial it would be to my heart, the most important muscle in the body, since heart disease is the number one cause of death currently in America. Those extra few closer parking spaces that might have saved me a few seconds walking to my destination but maybe choosing the further spaces will prove to help me live a longer life. The thought continued that it’s little things like that which can make a big difference over time. The society we live in is largely focused on instant gratification that we often neglect the power of the little things. I started to see where else in my day can I make adjustments by adding or removing little things. My experience with personal training I have heard every excuse to skip workouts, but I like using simple math to highlight the importance of making that time sacrifice for working out. Dedicating an hour a day to work out is only 4% of your day and that you have the other 96% to accomplishment whatever it is you might need to. If time constraints are an issue then there is the option to implement more fitness inspired changes by making slight adjustments of little things. I realized there’s many different ways to use little things to your advantage. For instance, if I were out to eat at a restaurant with friends I would try to drink an extra glass of water or perhaps if I were dieting try to skip out on the last few bites of a sandwich.  Imagine how many reps you might get in a year if you pushed yourself to knock out 4 or 5 more reps on your last set of an exercise.  How about when you are on the treadmill closing out a great cardio session you push yourself to do just another 5 or 6 minutes each time. You can try adding on the 2 1/2 or 5 pound plates on some barbell movements which might not feel like much of an addition yet will still help overcome plateaus. When you are in a building try to take the stairs over the elevator when time allows. Challenge yourself to try using little things to your advantage and live a happier, healthier life!   Michael is a 22 year old NPC Men's Physique Competitor. He earned his IFBB Pro card at Nationals Nov 19 2011. He has also earned 3 nationally accredited personal training certifications and has managed several personal training companies up and down the East coast helping thousands of people reach their fitness goals. His ultimate goal is to inspire and help anyone that he can to reach their maximum fitness potential!