Living in Vancouver, rain city, has its challenges. Aside from career and housing, being active has been the third on my list.

Coming from a dry and hot environment has made me appreciate, to a very minimum, the humidity and cold this city has to offer, which usually occurs around Christmas time.

Rain and cold weather are constant until late March, and even some days in April, making it hard for me to enjoy while being outdoors. I know I’m not built for this weather, I know it’s not in me to cycle, to walk or even run in the frozen rain. I just know I don’t enjoy as much as I’d like this time of the year. So naturally indoor activities are explored, friend’s houses are invaded and some malls are saturated by our presence.

Baking, goody hot chocolate, lounging or crafting are some of the things we do the most during this gloomy season. Getting outdoors and being active is craved at the first sight of sunshine through the window. We realize we go out and do the usual activities (visit the aquarium, the science centre, you know… mostly places kid oriented) that without thinking too much about it, we know these places do not provide much fitness to us parents.
I have felt out of ideas and ended with a much more need for better wellness. So when I found out about #SubwayFreshSwap I didn’t hesitate to check it out.

Commit to Fit™ is a personalized commitment to living a healthy and active lifestyle in a way that works for you. It’s an attitude, a frame of mind, a philosophy that involves making good food and lifestyle choices while swapping out as many old habits for fresh new approaches to wellness.

You can find out more at SUBWAY® Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SubwayCanada

After taking the pledge Commit to Fit™ I found great ideas to start implementing right away. These ideas are not that hard, nor costly. Really, sometimes we just need a reminder of those tiny bits that contribute to make a huge difference in our lifestyle.

NUTRITION

–Swap muffin for fresh fruit. I usually had a craving of something sweet around mid afternoon. My excuse was to go and buy them fresh to allow me the “extra walk”. I realized I can also pick up fresh fruit instead. Berries are in season and what better way to something refreshing.

–Swap mayo for avocado. I sometimes don’t have time to pack lunch for myself. I had the fortune to try one of the limited time avocado and spinach turkey subway sandwich. Besides the obvious, freshly baked bread and fresh ingredients, who needs mayo? This has been the best swap I made and the nutritional results are more meaningful than the other sandwiches I usually eat.

–Swap coke for water. I don’t drink pop that much, but when I eat out I tend to pop to my combos. Sometimes I don’t even finish it, it’s just too much and flat. I figured there’s no reason to not order a bottle of water instead.

FITNESS

–Getting off one or two stops before my usual bus stop allowed me to walk 10 more minutes in the morning. It might not seem a lot, but in the world of a desk job, any additional movement counts.

–Swapping the elevator for using the stairs. I work on the 3rd floor of a building, at first I decided to take the stairs to go to the ground level, and gradually start using them to go up as well (this is the hardest part.

–Swapping crafting for something more “fitnessy” outdoors. This year is the year of our garden. The past 2 years has been neglected. One of the things rain and cold weather bring is the putrefaction of roots and messy pots. It might sound easy, but it is not. A couple of hours in the weekend allowed us to clean up and dispose of the waste. The following week Milla and I went to Garden Works and picked the plants and soil. We only tackled half of them. The weekend after we managed to finish it all. Gardening was a good way of moving and have a mild work out.

WELLNESS

–Read with my kid. I sometimes get too caught up in household chores I forget to participate in activities that my kid enjoys.

–Go to bed earlier. I have a long hard record for not going to be early. I’m either watching a late show, or in bed but still flickering through the apps, or reading the latest friend’s status in Facebook. Going to bed earlier makes a difference not only in our mood, which consequently will improve our overall health, but also in our physical appearance in our skin.

–Go for a walk at break time. Not only will the walk add activity to my daily desk job, but making sure I get a break in between can improve reduce stress levels.

I really like going to the facebook page and track my progress. By doing this I notice it motivates me to find new ways for staying fit. It’s really a commitment to one self.

Tell me, how do you manage to stay fit?

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SUBWAY® Commit to Fit™  Pledge Contest:

• To take the SUBWAY® Commit to Fit™ Pledge visit,facebook.com/SUBWAYCanada for your chance to win $10,000 cash plus a $500 SUBWAY® cash card
• The sweepstakes is open between May 1, 2014 and October 31, 2014. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on or around November 17, 2014
• By simply taking the Pledge, participants are automatically entered for a chance to win
• Additional SUBWAY® $250 cash cards will be awarded monthly to those users who log their fresh swaps and fitness activities
• Once you’ve taken the Pledge you can track your progress by logging your fresh swaps and activities in the three categories: Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness (swapping salty snacks for fresh fruit, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or trying a new fitness class)
• Once you’ve completed a Fresh Swap or healthy activity, register it in your personal online logbook

 

“Disclosure: I am part of the SUBWAY® RestaurantsCommit to Fit™Blogger Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.”