Comments on: Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge, Rule #3: Move by 3 p.m.

By: Scheduling rest is crucial for good journalism – RJI

Scheduling rest is crucial for good journalism – RJI — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:00:39 +0000

[…] friend and accountability buddy Laura Vanderkam created a simple rule to build in exercise: move by 3 p.m. No matter how busy and important your job is, you should be able to incorporate 10 minutes of […]

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 22:54:33 +0000

I love this one – mostly because I already have pretty good habits around exercise 😉 so I feel like “Yes – I got this one!” I already exercise almost every morning before breakfast – running, walking or Pilates. The focus for me is that afternoon slump – when I least want to get some fresh air and exercise is when I need it most to clear my head and re-set for a productive afternoon.

By: Irena

Irena — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 17:04:36 +0000

I have a little different layout, but still try to keep moving every day:
Three times a week i wake up early to get my exercise- those are the days i work from home.
On two other days when i work in the office i have after-school activities for the kids, so i drop them to music/art for a 30 min class and go for a walk around the art school, unwinding after my office day.
And on the weekends i just try to be active with the kids, whether taking them to the pool or open gym in winter (and playing with them there, instead of browsing through the phone), or doing walks and bike rides when the weather is nice. I learned a very hard way that I can’t do my morning exercise routine on the weekends, because I won’t be able to chase my kids around. The weekend days seem to be longer, and i need to be careful about how i use my energy :))

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 01:57:05 +0000

In reply to Diane.

@Diane – this is an excellent point – in TBT I give a specific exception to people whose jobs are already very active. If you are, let’s say, leading hikes in the wilderness as a living, you really don’t need to pause to walk for 15 minutes…

By: Diane

Diane — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 19:52:58 +0000

In reply to Sarah. I think you can be gentler with yourself regarding this rule because teaching *is* a very active job. How many steps do you think you log in an average day? Certainly more than most people who have “desk” jobs. Also the rule is not about getting outside, just about getting up, which I am sure you are doing in spades. I have a job where I’m on my feet all day, and I don’t necessarily feel like I need to “move by 3pm” to get the benefits. More like some days I need to “rest by 3pm” to be able to keep going . I just need ten minutes to myself in a quiet place to recharge. It doesn’t need to be active or outside, though I do that if possible. Sometimes it’s me sitting at my desk with my eyes closed savoring my tea.

By: WEEKEND READING | Design Darling

WEEKEND READING | Design Darling — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 13:01:09 +0000

[…] I love this idea for breaking up the day, especially in winter. […]

By: Kristin W

Kristin W — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 12:36:39 +0000

In reply to Sarah. Sarah, I feel you! I’m ready by 6:30 every morning (then I start my mad dash to get the kids out the door by 7) and then with my commute, I’m not home until 4:30 and my work is mostly sedentary and doesn’t allow for much movement except to and from the bathroom. I get up at 5:10 to get my exercise in. My other option would be after dinner (we try to eat at 5) but that is really not appealing. So morning it is! I try to be in bed by 9:45 to make the 5:10 wake up doable. I would love to be able to take a midday walk but I work in a manufacturing environment so it’s complicated (and requires wearing lots of safety gear!) I wish you the best in figuring out what works for you. Good Luck!

By: Erica

Erica — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 01:19:45 +0000

This is maybe counter to the spirit of the rule, but I often do a “cleaning burst” in the early afternoon. I still have a little time until I have to pick up the kids and dive into the afternoon frenzy, but I’ve accomplished my immediate goals for the day and my sense of direction is often wavering. So I spend 10-20 minutes, often with a timer, putting away laundry and toys and dishes. It’s not exactly exercise (I do that at night) but it gets me out of my mental rut and accomplishes a useful task, and I do typically log a few hundred steps. And by the time I get back to my desk, I usually know what I want to do with my remaining time.

By: Gillian

Gillian — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:59:22 +0000

I do great on this one on the weekend and the days I work from home. I nearly always work out in the morning in some way. On my 3 days a week in the office I see patients from 7 am to 5 pm. I park and walk from my car but it is tough when it is cold and dark to park more than a few blocks from my office. I already get up at 4:45 am and cannot get up earlier. I eat my lunch in a few minutes between patients. For me this is the hardest rule.

By: Kat

Kat — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 21:31:10 +0000

Thanks for this Laura. It was just what I needed to hear and I will look to put it into action this coming week – starting today. Walking is very doable and something I could see myself getting myself to do whether Iam working from home or in the office and usually in whatever clothes I am wearing (maybe some days I would have to change my shoes). I think the trick will be setting the expectation at the start of any meeting at 2:00 pm that I need to be out of there by 2:45 pm so I carve out a little time, but usually this is much less of an issue than people expect. In fact a break between meetings is probably very welcome.