Exercising is an important step in taking good care of yourself and living a healthy life. Unfortunately, life is busy, and fitting in exercise can seem nearly impossible.
The good news is that even if you don’t have an hour to spend in the gym five days a week, there are many ways to fit exercise into your full schedule. The following are just a few ideas to get you started.
- Make It Easy
Let’s be honest – if you have to work to be able to work out, you’re probably not going to do it. For example, if you happen to wake up 30 minutes early to go for a run but it takes you 20 minutes to find your running shoes and workout clothes, you might as well hang it up.
Instead, make it super simple for yourself. Find an easy-to-access location to keep your shoes, water bottle, and workout clothes. You might even consider keeping some in your car in case you have random chances to take a power walk.
- Make It Fun
No one gets excited about doing something mundane, so it’s essential that you find a workout you enjoy. This will be completely up to you, and what you enjoy won’t necessarily be fun for someone else. You might enjoy tai chi while your best friend enjoys weight training. The key is to find something that you’ll actually be motivated to do. If you don’t, there will always be a good excuse to avoid your workout.
- Try High-Intensity Workouts
If you’re really stretched on time, high-intensity workouts are a great idea. They provide the same amount of exercise as running or biking in about a third of the time. Consider options like a HIIT bootcamp or even power yoga. These can help you fit in a thorough workout quickly and get back to life.
- Find Small Pockets of Time
If you can’t fit in a full hour-long or even 30-minute workout at once, don’t sweat it. Even five minutes of getting your heart pumping is better than doing nothing at all.
The recommended guidelines are to get 150 minutes of exercise each week, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Look for pockets of time and piggyback activities throughout your week. Some examples to spark your creativity include:
- Doing some jumping jacks and squats when you need a break at work
- Squat when you’re looking in the bottom of your fridge instead of bending over
- Walk up the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator.
- Try lunges instead of walking to from one room to another.
- Park farther away from doors.
- If you have a few errands to run in the same area, park your car and walk to each individual location.
- Turn on music and dance while you’re cleaning or cooking.
- Do some cardio while watching your favorite show.
- Meet up with friends for a walk in the park while your kids play.
- Learn to Play Again
Sometimes, all you need is to be a kid again. Chase your little ones around the park, have a pillow fight, crawl around on the floor with them – whatever they’re doing. Not only does this provide a natural way to stay in shape, but also gives you the chance to bond.
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