One of the biggest challenges to individuals on the weight-loss journey is making time for exercise. Physical activity is an important part of any health initiative, especially if you’re trying to lose weight to improve your overall health. Finding the time to devote to exercise, however, can be increasingly difficult the busier our lives get.
Between work, school, raising a family, extra-curricular activities, shopping and preparing food – squeezing physical activity into your day may seem impossible! However, breaking your exercise into small chunks throughout the day may allow you to increase your movement and improve your health in small ways. To show you how, we’ve found a few tips and tricks.
Practical Ways to Work Movement Into Your Day
Get Movement Around the House – Household activities can take up a large part of our day or week, so it makes sense to work in some extra physical activity while you’re “working” at home. Here are a few exercise tips:
Do a Deep Clean – Tackle areas of your home that you use the most, such as your kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Cleaning can be a great and consistent exercise! Grab your duster, vacuum and sponges and go to town!- Work Out While You cook – Got something in the oven or on the stove? Consider lifting weights, doing jumping jacks or even standing push-ups while you wait.
- Take a Walk After Dinner – Sometime after dinner and before
bed, consider winding down with a short walk. You’ll help your food digest, squeeze in some activity and even prepare yourself for rest.
Get Physical At Work – Squeezing in some extra movement while you’re at work can stretch your muscles, benefit your health and even boost productivity. Check out these tips:
Walk to Lunch – If you’re dining out, consider walking there instead of driving. You might even try finding a lunch location that is a little bit farther away!- Utilize Extra Time – If you have a meeting that’s in another building, leave a little earlier to squeeze in a short walk or go up and down some stairs. Or, take a couple breaks to leave your office and go on a short walk to get some fresh air.
- Get Out of Your seat – This is especially important if you have a desk job. Take some time to get out of your chair, stretch, breathe deeply, and maybe even try some squats. You could even keep small weights by your desk to lift throughout the day.
Other Small Changes to Increase Your Physical Activity Level:
- Work out During Travel Time – Pack some tennis shoes and comfortable exercise clothes for those small moments when you have time to get out and get active.
Park Further Away from Your destination – Whether it be a trip to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor’s appointment or shopping plaza, you might try parking your vehicle further away from the entrance. If there’s an incline, consider using it to increase the difficulty of your walk.- Switch Up Your Social Scene – What do you do to spend time with your friends and family? Do you go out to eat, or go to the movies? Do you grab a drink together and spend time at home? Consider getting active instead. You can participate in recreational
activities at the park, attend exercise classes together or go on walks. You can squeeze in exercise and get social at the same time! - Spend Time with Your Pets – Your pets will can benefit from exercise just as much as you can! Take them for an extended walk or play with them in the yard – the whole family can get active and it only takes a few extra minutes!
Looking for more ways to increase your level of movement throughout the day? You can get more tips and tricks from the Your Weight Matters Campaign by CLICKING HERE.
