How to Squeeze Extra Exercise Into Your Day

• July 21, 2016
• Emilie
• no comments

In today’s world, so many of us work 9 AM- 5 PM with very sedentary lifestyles. It’s hard to feel like we are active enough when we are forced to spend most of our days sitting down. Here are 5 great ways you can get moving, despite your hectic schedule.

1. Bike to lunch. We’ve all heard of people who bike to work, but for many of us this simply isn’t possible. Instead, try grabbing a bike rack and bringing your bike with you to work. That way, you can bike to a lunch spot nearby! If you want, you can bring a spare change of clothes with you in your car in the morning, and that way you don’t even have to bike to lunch in your work clothes. Or, if you prefer, find a lot to park in between home and work. That way you can drive most of the way, but you can bike whatever distance to work that you’d like!

2. Have an hourly “Stagnancy Check.” Some fitness watches already have a feature for this specific purpose- lightly vibrating whenever you haven’t moved for an hour. The more you pay attention to how much time has passed since the last time you walked around, the more you will realize how much time you have spent sitting. To do your own stagnancy check,  take a short walk around your building once an hour. It doesn’t have to be long, just enough to get you moving. You can even use your walk to grab coffee, or take a detour when visiting another room or office. Or if you prefer, climb up and down a few flights of stairs, just to get the blood flowing!

3. Book exercise into your schedule. Often when we’re really busy, the hardest part about exercising is that the day just gets away from us. Plan your exercise into your schedule, and block it off just like you would a meeting. When meetings and other commitments arise, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of moving your workout in order to make room for that commitment. But when you make this into a habit, it doesn’t take long before exercise is rarely in your schedule. Avoid rearranging your daily exercise slot to make room for other commitments. When you do have to rearrange your workout schedule, treat it the same as any other meeting, and only rearrange it if you have time to put it elsewhere in your schedule for the day.

4. Change your morning routine. When you have to get to work early, it’s incredibly difficult to wake up any easier than you absolutely need to. However, there are so many benefits to exercising in the morning. In general, working out in the morning will rev your metabolism, and keep it boosted throughout the day. Additionally, by exercising before you eat breakfast, this forces your body to reach into your fat stores for energy, instead of simply using energy from meals you have eaten earlier in the day. That means more fat loss! So if you don’t have much time in the morning, try exercising before you leave for work in the morning, and then grab some breakfast once you arrive at the office. If you are trying unsuccessfully to wake up earlier, force yourself to wake up 5 minutes earlier each day. Sticking to these small increments can be challenging, and it won’t be easy at first, but it will slowly adjust your body to waking up earlier each morning.

5. Help out your kids. When your life consists of being a constant chauffeur for your children, when do you find time to exercise? Try participating in some of the same sports as your children (or at least sports nearby). Finding ways to be active while your children are at practice is a good way to get in some extra exercise, and the more you learn about your kid’s sports the more you will have something in common to talk about and enjoy! While your child is at soccer practice, see if you can get a soccer lesson from someone local in nearby fields. You can also grab a yoga mat to do some yoga at the park nearby, or simply bring a change of clothes and go for a walk or run while your kid is at practice! Search for nearby tennis courts, pools, golf courses, racket ball centers, and other ways to be active right nearby.