MM Ep 17: 10 tax tips from the IRS

Quote 15 - Robert Schuller

“Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.” 

- Robert Schuller

MM Ep 16: 21 tips to spring-back in spring

Quote 14 - JFK

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a health body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity” 

-John F Kennedy

10 Things you can do to get a workout... without going to the gym

I personally love my gym. It has a pool, a basketball court and even a workout movie theater where I can watch a movie while I'm on the treadmill!

That being said you might hate the gym, everyone judging you, dropping weights while you're trying to focus and  let's not even mention the smell. Well if you hate the gym but want to get healthy here are some tips to get a workout without going to the gym.

1.       Do Situps – sit ups are so simple yet go good for firming up your mid section they help strengthen both your hip flexors and abs. 

2.       Chair or couch crunches – if sit ups are little too much for you can always replace them with crunches which also work your abs. Simply curl your shoulders towards your neck, you either have your legs slightly bent against the ground or set your legs on elevated couch or chair while you watch TV.

3.       Push ups – push up, ease down – push ups are great to work your pectoral muscles and triceps they also help develop your deltoids as well. All you need is a flat steady surface – this is another exercise you can do while watching a movie or TV.

4.       Climb the steps at your office or home - instead of the StairMaster at the gym you can use steps at your home, office or any other public building with steps. If you live in Philadelphia you can just visit the Art museum multiple times a week to stimulate your body and your creativity as well as channel your inner Rocky.

5.       Play intramural sports – This is a great way to get active and get closer to friends and/or make new friends in the process. Sometimes you'll need to convince a friend or two but, many leagues allow small groups and individuals to join.

6.       Walk over to co-workers in the same office instead of calling or e-mailing – I personally get at least 50 -100 e-mails a day sometimes from people who sit just a few feet away from me. I’m sure if you use e-mail you probably get an endless amount of it to. If you simply take the time to walk over to a coworker about a project instead of e-mailing, you’ll save the time of writing an e-mail and burn calories as well.

7.       Do Jumping Jacks at home  - Jumping jacks – called star jumps in United Kingdom - are easy to do and great to get your heart pumping.

8.       Go biking – If you’re a spoiled Midwestern American like me, you probably drive just about everywhere to do just about anything but, you can always just jump on a bike to get to most places as well. If you within a few miles of work, try biking there when the weather is decent.

9.       Jog – I’m not going to lie this is my least favorite exercise because I usually hit a wall and stay there but if you can break through the wall the benefits are awesome. According to Motleyhealth.com if you run regularly you can combat depression and obviously help you lose fat even belly fat.

10.   Go hiking – find a trail and go for a walk. According to mamashealth.com the benefits include – decrease in blood pressure, weight loss, relieves back pain and it’s free! Bring some bug spray though. 

So those are 10 tips to get a workout without buying a gym membership. Do you know of some better ideas? Was this at all helpful? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks for reading. 

Always consult your family physician to find out what level of physical exercise works best for you.

MM EP 15: 10 ways to get exercise without going to a gym

Quote 13 - Bernadette Peters

“You’ve gotta be original, because if you’re like someone else, what do we need you for?”

-Bernadette Peters

MM Ep 14: Copycats need not apply

Books I've Read in February (2011)

Your Business Is His Business: It's Where Favor Takes You   This book is directed towards businesspeople and those in the ministry who want to improve their business or their place of worship. Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter knows a lot about business, she is one of the most successful if not the most successful female franchisee in the country with 137 fast food restaurants under her company's control. She credits most if not all of her success in business and in life to her faith in God.

My opinion - outstanding. Although the book is only 104 pages long ( I read it in about 48 hours) you can sense from the first few pages that this is a woman of intelligence, faith and nobility like few others in the world we live in today.

The Brand Within: The Power of Branding from Birth to the Boardroom (Display of Power Series)
Mr.  John and three of his friends started the urban fashion company FUBU (For Us By Us) back in the early 90's. At first they started selling custom designed clothes out of duffel bags but by the late 90's wearing FUBU was the thing to do for both famous rappers and hip hop stars to America's youth in general. In this book Mr. John speaks how 'branding yourself" or becoming "Brandish" as he puts it - is so deeply important. Everything from the shoes you wear to how you smell to what you post on facebook or twitter shapes the Brand that is you. Mr John also talks about his time on the show Shark Tank.


My Opinion - I enjoyed this book as it shows the reader that you don't necessarily need an MBA or college degree to reach your dreams - Mr. John never attended college. Instead, you just need an idea and the persistence to achieve. One great tip that I definitely took away from this book is to paraphrase "Think Global, Start local"

Action Has No Season - By Michael V Roberts  I want to be like Mike - Mr. Michael Roberts that is.  In this book the St Louis area businessman talks about what one needs to do in order to succeed in business - I'll give you a hint...it involves action. Mr. Roberts talks about some of deals amongst a variety of businesses that include stand-alone shopping centers, TV networks and even a unique cellular company that he and his brother Steve. Mostly though, Mr. Roberts goes over what potential entrepreneurs can do to become successful full-time entrepreneurs.

My Opinion - Mr. Roberts does a great job of motivating readers and balancing that with experiences from his own life. He also talks about politics, being a good conversationalist and so on. Overall I love the book, but towards the end, newspaper clippings and a few speeches take on the final third of the book. Overall the advice is sage and Mr. Roberts knows more than a little bit about starting a business and keeping it running smoothly as he and his brother run dozens of businesses that make up a $500 million dollar empire.

I'm currently reading through the 3rd book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  novel series and should hopefully have a review ready for next month.