How to Make Time for Exercise
March 19, 2019
Life is busy and it can be difficult to make time for exercise, even when we want to. While it’d be great to be able to hit the gym for an hour or so more days of the week than not, that’s not always realistic. Luckily, there are plenty of ways we can incorporate exercise into our daily routine.
If you want to stay active but don’t have time to hit the gym, try these tips:
1. Make your dog’s day
Pet owners know how much most dogs love to be outside. Before or after work, consider taking your dog for a 30-minute walk or, if you have a bit more time to yourself over the weekend, bring them hiking on a nearby trail if that’s something you’ll both enjoy. This is a great way to stay active and allow your dog to socialize.
2. Take the stairs
This one might seem like a no-brainer but whenever you can, opt to take the stairs. If you live in a multi-level apartment or townhouse complex, ditch the elevator and get your steps in. If you really want to, you can even start at the first floor and take the stairs to the top floor just to fit in some extra activity without going somewhere else.
3. Work out while you watch TV
Many of us want to go home and relax after spending a long day at work but that doesn’t mean we have to be sedentary. You can have your cake and eat it by exercising while you binge the newest release on Netflix. Stretch, do some yoga, ride an exercise bike, lift hand weights, or use a resistance band while you watch your favorite show.
4. Enlist the help of your coworkers
Use your lunch break to take a wellness walk as opposed to running errands or grabbing a coffee. If you’d rather not go alone, ask you coworkers to join you. Because we offer Steps Challenges and Activity Challenges a couple times a year, we encourage our team members to tackle exercise a group.
5. Clean the house or get your hands dirty
When we think of cleaning, we might not think of exercise but, in reality, a lot of deep cleaning and yard work can raise our heart rate which means we’re staying active. Quicken your pace when you scrub the bathtub or mop the floor to get your blood pumping. If your prefer being outdoors, mow the lawn, rake, or do some gardening.
There’s no need to feel guilty about not being able to make it to the gym; just incorporating exercise into your daily life is a huge step in and of itself.
