Aspire to a constant state of movement: Life is training and training is life

“Aspire to always be moving – in a constant state of movement – and not compartmentalizing training and life. Life is training and training is life,” says Fitbit Ambassador Dean Karnazes.

But how can the typical 9 – 5’er incorporate this philosophy into his or her life when there are emails to send, meetings to attend and conference calls throughout the day?

One solution Karnazes recommends is a standing desk. “For over a decade now, I’ve been advocating for a standing desk, especially for a runner,” says Karnazes. “People will ask me how I recover from standing all day but I find that I recover a lot better. When I am writing emails or online, I am bending my knees, and bouncing on my toes. The reality is I feel so much better than when I used to sit all day.”

Throughout the workday, Karnazes also attempts to keep moving as much as possible – even while at work. “I am not kidding, I have a push up, pull up, sit up and burpee routine that I do in my office,” says Karnazes. “Of course I work out of my house which makes it easier, but even when I go into other offices, I will crank out some burpees while waiting for a meeting to start. Doing 10 quick burpees in between emails and conference calls really adds up.”

Don’t underestimate the power of the burpee! Dean thinks burpees are the single best exercise individuals can do to get their heart rates elevated, while utilizing many different muscle sets.

Given the typical person’s busy daily schedule, Dean also believes there is no such thing as “junk miles” and that all running counts! For example, he says, “run a couple miles in the morning, just to get to the office, wear your sweats to work, if you can, and maybe at lunch just run two miles, but constantly be working on your base mileage. Within the minimum threshold of your target, all miles count.”

Dean also promotes doubling or tripling up workouts – incorporating shorter runs – just to get your heart rate up. This training approach may complement the lives of many working people, who are trying to carve out blocks of time here and there throughout a busy day to train.

“Usually coaches and training manuals say to set aside an hour on this day and an hour and a half on this day, and dedicate it to training,” says Karnazes. “I don’t think you have to be that rigid, and I think that can actually lead to burnout. Instead, aspire to a constant state of movement…at work, at play, in life!”

“No matter what goal you’ve got in mind, finding ways to stay accountable throughout your training is incredibly important. For you that might be a group of running buddies. For me, it’s wearing my Fitbit Ionic. From built-in GPS to sleep tracking to music storage, it helps me stay motivated and dialed in during every part of my training. And, because Fitbit is the Official Wearable of The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon, now you can get a Fitbit Ionic of your own with this special offer.”

Fitbit Ambassador Dean Karnazes will be back again this year to run the UltraMarathon at The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon on July 29, 2018, sporting his Fitbit Ionic, aka his “trusted friend.” As Dean explains, “My Fitbit is constantly encouraging me to do more, to go further. And, when I reach my goals, it congratulates me. It’s a friendship that has endured the test of time.”