It’s hard to stay active when your schedule doesn’t give you much room for negotiation. But don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. In fact, most people report that they struggle to find time for exercise while they juggle full-time jobs, errands, families and other time-consuming activities.

Health recommendations advise that exercising with moderate intensity for a minimum of 150 minutes per week will give you the best health benefits. But for many of us, time is the biggest hurdle! Fortunately, recent studies have shown that incorporating even small amounts of physical, sporadic activity into our days can improve our health when compared to staying sedentary.

So, when your agenda starts to fill up, don’t make an excuse to give up. Sneaking in the time to exercise is possible if you’re strategic, motivated and willing to prioritize!

Stay Active with the Little Things

As insignificant as they may seen, small bursts of activity throughout your day can make big changes to your health. Consider adjusting your daily routine to include some or all of the following tips. Those little things might add up more than you think!

• Clean or vacuum your entire home frequently
• Use a shared printer further away from your office
• Park your car further away
• Carry a hand basket instead of using a cart at the store
• Take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator
• Skip the drive thru; walk into the business
• Get moving during your lunch hour
• Walk your dog as often as you’re able
• Stretch before bed and after you wake up
• Use business meetings as a walking opportunity

Intensity Makes a Difference

However you choose to stay active each day, remember that increasing the intensity of your activity can yield better results. How can you pick up the intensity?

Split Your Workout into Two Sessions

You’ll burn more calories as your body recovers and then gets active again.

Pick-up the Pace

Speed-up your workout while spending the same amount of time on it as you normally would. This can burn more calories and get your blood pumping faster. It’s a great option while you’re running low on time.

Exercise On an Incline

You will build more muscle, burn more calories and achieve higher cardio-respiratory levels.

Final Thoughts:

The conclusion? Staying active in any way, whether it’s a small change to your routine or an hour long workout at the gym, benefits your health and makes an impact on your body. And, when you can manage it, adding more intensity will allow you to reap even greater rewards.