Ways to exercise when you are busy
In today’s world, we all seem to be busy with life- whether it is work, kids, family obligations, and other things that can strip us of our time to exercise. But, even with a little amount of time you have in your daily life, you can use it to your advantage. There are great ways to be active and keep your body in perfect shape. You actually do not need to own fancy gym equipment to rip the benefits of exercise.
What research shows about our activity level
According to the American Heart Association, the number of people holding sedentary jobs has increased by 83% since 1950 with people working longer weeks. This, in turn, has led to a rise in obesity and less time for people to exercise, and higher medical costs associated with the treatment of obesity. So, what can we do to reverse the process if your busy life doesn’t leave you enough time to exercise?
- Make walking a part of your daily routine
One of the things you can do to stay active, as the American Heart Association suggests, is to move for 30 minutes a day. Now, how can we accomplish that? I would say, the easiest way to fit that time into your daily routine is simply walk to a store when you shop instead of driving, or when you are running an errand, such as dropping off mail at the post office or going to your bank. Think of it as part of your daily routine.
- Do simple household chores
Did you know that simply cleaning your house and scrubbing the floors counts as an exercise activity? — it can surely get your heart pumping. In addition, if you have a yard for example with a garden, gardening, and yard work can be very great activities to engage in and get exercise at the same time.
- Use your feet to get to work
Some people who don’t drive tend to take public transportation to work. They can change their commute by opting to walk to work instead if it’s not too far, or they can walk some distance and then hop on a bus or train.
- Switch elevator to stairs
For example, if you live in a building with elevators, you can opt to take stairs to and from your house. Even though it sounds like a minor thing, but doing it regularly will surely add to the amount of your exercise.
- Go for mini workouts
Last but not least, you can arrange to do mini-workouts throughout your day- exercises like jumping jacks that you can do either indoors or outdoors or simple sit-ups and ab crunches at home. You don’t have to have a full steady 30 minutes of your free time to do this. For example, if you are on a break from work, you can step out and do quick sets for 10 minutes, then do another 10 minutes when you are on your next break, and so on. Squeezing little bits of time to exercise throughout the day is effective and won’t take too much effort.
Sources
The price of inactivity. (October 26, 2015). The American Heart Association. Retrieved from https://atgprod.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/The-Price-of-Inactivity_UCM_307974_Article.jsp
