So You Want to Get Fit This Year. But Where Does a Busy Lawyer Start?
True wellness comes from three pillars: movement, nutrition and regeneration.
January 08, 2020 at 04:23 PM
3 minute read
Sitting hunched over desks for hours on end, staying glued to a mobile device 24/7, and meeting crazy deadlines are worn like badges of honor in the legal profession.
For decades a lawyer's physical, mental and emotional health has been a casualty to the demands of the firm, the client and the profession. I've worked with hundreds of them in the gym, in the kitchen and on the massage table to help them achieve balance in their bodies and brains.
In my experience no other profession provides such tremendous job satisfaction paired with such grueling physical and mental demands.
But over the past decade I've started to see a shift, however small, fueled by the current generation of associates' desire for a healthier lifestyle and balance. Boutiques, big firms and corporate teams are beginning to address wellness in a variety of ways, including the food they provide to workers, resources for mobility and ergonomics, stress reduction, sleep training, exercise opportunities and nutrition coaching.
The most pressing question I get as a corporate wellness coach is what to prioritize? "What's most important in terms of employee wellness?"
True wellness comes from three pillars, in equal parts, based on our bodies' biological needs: Movement, nutrition and regeneration, and I'll address all three in our 2020 Fit Counselor columns.
Let's kick-start 2020 with movement. Most attorneys don't move enough. It's common for my busy lawyer clients to struggle to get even 5,000 steps a day, much less the desired minimum of 10,000. Lawyers rarely have enough time to work out and move as much as their bodies need. So every workout needs to be super efficient and effective to make good use of limited time.
For my lawyers who want to maximize their workouts, I often suggest "offset training," when you perform a complex exercise carrying weight on just one side of your body. It can be a great way to challenge your core, build stability and improve athleticism. This style of weightlifting requires you to brace your core, lock in your shoulders and maintain muscular tension.
Here are three videos of my favorite offset exercises which, depending on your goals and baseline fitness, are perfect as a primary exercise, warm up or finisher. Take a look.
In these demonstrations I use a kettlebell for weight, but any type of load (dumbbell, cable, weight plate) can be used. You can perform all three in one workout or blend just one to start into your existing workouts. Added bonus: These moves are especially good for runners who want to gain speed and endurance this year.
If any of these moves cause pain (especially in the shoulder or lower back), stop immediately and chat with a movement professional like a trainer or physical therapist.
Good luck!
Jonathan Jordan is a personal trainer, nutrition coach and corporate wellness consultant in San Francisco. Check out his blog JJ Fit 24/7.
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