Healthy Habits: Biking, running help Dr. Paul Ling stay fit

July 25, 2016 Dr. Paul Ling, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Healthy Habits, Houston, molecular virology and microbiology, Nutrition and Wellness

Taking care of your health is a priority and nobody knows that more than physicians and healthcare providers.

It can sometimes be difficult to find ways to stay healthy, so we’ve asked members of our Baylor College of Medicine community to share what they do in their daily lives to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Paul Ling, associate professor of virology and microbiology at Baylor, shares some of his healthy habits with us.

Q: What health decisions start your day?
A: I actually start on Sunday by evaluating my schedule and planning my training/exercise for the week accordingly. For me, the most consistent way to maintain a regular exercise regimen is to do most workouts in the morning. I also prepare and bring my own lunch and snacks to work 95 percent of the time, so I use the weekends to plan for this too.

Q: What is your go-to healthy breakfast?
A: Oatmeal with raisins and three egg whites.

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?
A: Running, biking and swimming.

Q: What keeps you motivated during your workout?
A: When I exercise alone, I listen to upbeat music on my iPod nano. On long runs or bike days, usually on the weekends, I like to train with a group. A group helps keep you accountable, especially to maintain your training during the week. You don’t want to get left in the dust!

Q: What activities do you do when you can’t fit in a full workout?
A: I make sure to stretch and use a foam roller, especially when I’m kicking back at night while watching the news before bed. Taking my dogs for a longer walk helps and is fun and relaxing too.

Q: What is your favorite healthful snack?
A: Fruit with a little low-fat cottage cheese.

Q: How do you make an unhealthy recipe healthy?
A: There are so many healthy recipes available on the web already. Why try to re-invent the wheel?

Q: What hobbies do you have to help you relax?
A: I like watching movies and sports, especially soccer. Spending time with family and friends is also important. As I’ve gotten older, I cherish these connections more and more. Working out regularly is the single most important thing I do to relieve stress. It helps me relax, and socializing with training buddies takes my mind off work for a while.

Q: What is your favorite health tip that you live by?
A: You can’t exercise yourself out of a bad diet.