JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – All this week on The Morning Show, I’ve been helping you stay motivated to get your body and mind in shape -- sharing stories of how people stayed on track to drop weight and modify their lives. If you’re getting back to work, but still looking for motivation to make a change, you may find inspiration in a co-worker.
Here at News4Jax, I found a colleague so motivated to stay healthy that he gets to work one hour early every day because he’s turned an empty workspace into his personal track.
Mike Jones works with me as a senior editor and producer, and he’s a creative soul who likes to work behind the scenes.
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It took some prodding, but he finally agreed to share his morning routine with me, so you can see if what he does works for you.
“When I’m walking (people ask), ‘What am I doing up here?’ I’m getting in my steps!” he said.
Mike gets in those steps Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. before his workday starts. He uses the empty workspace as his personal track.
“I noticed in the morning there weren’t many people upstairs and the earlier I got here, the less people. So, I just took advantage of the situation,” Mike said. “It’s temperature-controlled. If it’s raining outside, hey, it’s covered!”
For Mike, it started as a solution to a problem many Americans face.
“I sit all day and sometimes my legs would cramp up,” he said.
One in four Americans sits more than eight hours a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sitting has even been called “the new smoking.” Studies show people who spend more time sitting have higher rates of heart problems and certain cancers.
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Mike is walking toward something healthier and stays motivated by the gratification he feels with every step.
“This is something that I enjoy doing and it makes me feel better; it makes the day go better,” he said.
Mike also watches his diet. He has a cheat meal weekly, but the majority of the time he eats clean. He also told me he’s constantly tweaking his routine because as he gets older, staying fit gets harder.