By: Lina S. Yates
Do you find you have too much going on? Sometimes it seems like such a challenge to exercise, and then once you let it go, it tends to get easier to not exercise.
Luckily, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to get an appropriate amount of exercise. There are so many ways you can add fitness into your day.
Fitness During the Workday
Exercise and work may not seem to go together but more employers are encouraging their workers to get healthy. Some companies even incorporate fitness breaks into the workday to accommodate busy schedules. But what if your company isn't one of these fitness-friendly guys? There are many ways you can squeeze exercise in at the office without anyone even knowing!
Here are some examples of what you can do to schedule in fitness into your work day. Whenever you have the choice between the stairs or the elevator, opt to give yourself a workout by taking the stairs. Walk everywhere. Don't hand your project envelope to the mail personnel. Hand deliver it to your coworker on the next floor yourself.
Other ideas include practicing Pilates moves right at your desk and doing simple stretches either in your office or in the bathroom. If you look for opportunities to exercise, they'll start to jump out at you everywhere.
Fitness At Home
Great, you're home, so working out is so much easier now, right? Wrong! Home requires just as much attention and responsibility as work, as well as being mom or dad at the same time.
Try involving the kids in your fitness activities. Children don't see exercise as being work. For them it's fun! So indulge in family time, and give yourself a good workout. Playing tag, jumping on the trampoline or going for a work - these are all just a few ways to enjoy your time with the kids and stay fit at the same time.
Other ideas for home fitness include turning housework into aerobic exercise. Get that vacuum cleaner going and use your arm, back, and core muscles to propel it back and forth. Load the dishwasher and maintain proper posture as you bend and straighten, keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Sweep the driveway as fast as you can for a quick aerobic blast!
Errand Time
Incorporating fitness moves into your errands may seem strange but once you get used to the idea, you'll wonder why you never thought of using the checkout line at the grocery store as a workout zone! When you're standing in any kind of line, contract your buttocks for a count of 15 and then release. This helps strengthen the muscle and can also keep you from losing your cool when the customer in front of you needs three price checks.
Find yourself waiting in line? Try standing on your tiptoes for a count of 10, to strengthen your calf muscles. Or if you find yourself sitting in traffic, you can do arm exercises and simple stretches while you're waiting. Other motorists might think you look strange, but you're getting fit, instead of sitting there getting steamed over being stuck in traffic!
Spur of the Moment Fitness
If you're feeling kind of lethargic, speed-walking at the park can get you feeling energetic again. Or try mall-walking for some indoor fitness fun. Some malls actually encourage mall-walking by offering incentive programs. If you're lucky to have a program like that nearby, you can walk for points, and redeem them later for gift certificates or discount coupons.
There are literally hundreds of options for random fitness jaunts, so take the time to look around your area and figure out where you want to go for your next spur of the moment fitness trip!
