Exercise along with good nutrition are vital components when it comes to improving your overall well-being.
However, time is a hot commodity for most and finding time to exercise when confronted with our daily modern schedules can be challenging at best.
Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can employ that will make the process easier for you…and the best part is, you won’t have to spend hours at the gym for it to be effective.
MAKE EXERCISE A PRIORITY
Wake up and Do 10 (or 20)
Fitting exercise into your morning routine is one of the best ways to ensure it gets done because there is nothing on the schedule at that time to crowd it out. Research shows that those who are active when the day begins tend to stay more consistent with their fitness plan than those that wait util later in the day.
Set your alarm to wake up ten, or even twenty minutes earlier than usual. Squeeze in 10 minutes of activity. Try some jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, or simply walk up and down your stairs doing a series of body-weight exercises like push-ups, crunches or squats with each trip.
This type of quick workout helps to get the blood pumping in the body which helps to wake you up naturally. It also provides a nice energy boost for the day ahead.
You’ll feel good as you move forward with the rest of your day knowing you’ve already accomplished something positive for yourself.
This routine may be a bit challenging initially, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll find that your body naturally wakes up and you’ll begin looking forward to your morning exercise routine.
Park and Walk
Another small but effective tip is to park further away from your work if possible and walk the rest of the way there. Even a 5-10 minutes walk can build in another 10-20 minutes of activity into your day (because you walk both ways) and can help to stretch out your legs after a day of sitting at the office behind a desk.
Biking is another alternative if you live a distance from work. This not only give you great exercise, but saves on fuel costs as well!
Use Lunch-time wisely
Try and find a co-worker who desires a better and healthier lifestyle and make a deal with them to head out every lunch hour for a quick walk.
Too many people don’t take advantage of this time and sit through their lunch hour after sitting all morning! Not surprising that they end up hitting a 2 pm slump. If you get out and break up your day, you’ll find your productivity is in high gear when you get back.
Having a co-worker participate with you helps you to avoid excuses to ditch your plans.
Set a Timer on Your Desk
A timer is an excellent tool to use to remind you to get up every hour and move around. Even if it means a short trip the the bathroom (even better if it is on another floor and you can use the stairs), walking to speak with a co-worker rather than emailing and walking to the copier etc.
Sitting for too long is unnatural and unhealthy for the body so adding these brief breaks helps to keep your body energized. Without a timer, it’s far too easy to forget and end up sitting for 4-5 hours straight. Sit for hours on end without breaking and you’ve opened the door to weight gain (due to a low daily calorie expenditure) and also increases your risk for disease.
Try Office Friendly Exercise
Another quick and simple way to fit more exercise into your day is to try office friendly exercises. These work great when you can’t get away to do a workout or go for a brisk walk.
You can easily perform a number of exercises right at your desk using equipment you likely have in your office.
For example: Both floor and wall push-ups are great for strengthening the upper body. Likewise, you can perform tricep dips off your chair.
Take the Stairs
Whenever you can – use the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator. An office building that offers numerous stairs can easily contribute an additional 10 minutes of cardio training to your day, reducing the time you must spend doing outside activity.
The responsibility for your health and fitness falls directly on you, so don’t waste another day. You are the one that reaps the rewards and benefits of your lifestyle habits. Make exercise the only prescription you ever need to fill.
Its time to take command of your life, so you can avoid disease somewhere down the road…
“Reclaim Your Longevity” can help you do just that…
For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals and achieving the success you desire in life, please visit:
