I am really good at finding excuses not to exercise, but I feel so much better when I just do it. My husband and I for the last month have been waking up early to exercise together and not only to I feel so much better during the day, it has also been a great bonding time for us! All of us are busy, but we all truly can and need to find time to exercise. I LOVE this guest post today by Christine Hill all about how to find time to exercise even when our lives are really busy!
Who Has Time for Exercise? by Christine Hill
The American Heart Association, the CDC, and WHO all recommend that the average adult gets 150 minutes per week of moderately-intense exercise. A good way to think of this is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Do you have an empty 30 minutes every day that you’d like to devote to exercise? For many of us, the answer is a resounding “No!” A 30 minute block feels like a lot to carve out of every day! We’re all busy, and we can find an empty 30 minutes, there are plenty of things we’d rather do than work out.
If 30 minutes feels like a lot to incorporate into your daily routine, maybe it’s time to think about exercise differently. In the last 5-10 years, we’re realizing that exercise doesn’t have to be done in a single block in order to be effective. Studies are showing that breaking down that block into two or three mini-sessions throughout the day can be just as effective. In fact, it might be even better because it keeps your activity level up throughout the day. One study of hypertensive adults compared groups jogging in either 1 30-minute increment each day, or 3 10-minute increments. Both regimes had the same blood-pressure-improving effects, but the population doing 3 10-minute increments also regulated blood pressure spikes throughout the day.
So how about it: can you manage 3 10-minute exercises throughout the day? That’s probably a goal that even the most hesitant athlete among us can agree to.
Take a look at these ways that you can sneak more activity into each day. Make note of the ones that should work best for you.
Sneak in a Walk
- Try putting the “mobile” in “mobile phone”. With cell phones, we don’t have to be plugged into the wall. Enjoy your liberty by walking and talking. If you’re at home chatting with a friend, take a walk around the block as you do so. If you’re at work, do the same! Walking can improve creativity and elevate your mood, which can only benefit you in the workplace.
- Park a little farther. Isn’t it funny the way that we prowl parking lots in our car, looking for the closest possible parking spot? We could park at the farthest reach of the parking lot and walk to our destination in the same amount of time, and save gas and get more of a workout. Next time you’re at the grocery store or the mall, just go straight to those empty spots at the back. Similarly, start choosing the stairs over the elevator when the opportunity presents itself.
- Step out of the waiting room. Next time you’re stuck waiting for something–a doctor’s appointment, a child’s piano lesson, a table at a restaurant, a flight at the airport–check how long the wait will be, and use those precious minutes to circle the block instead of sitting and getting antsy.
- Make a tradition. 30 minutes might be a lot to plan for, but start with a 10 minute walk each day after dinner. Or maybe 10 minutes after breakfast, before you have to go back and face the dishes. Make it a new family pastime.
Put the Empty Gaps in Your Day to Use
- How long does it take for a pot of water to boil? How long do you spend just waiting a few more minutes for something to finish cooking? What are you doing during that time? Once all the prep work and cleaning is done, spend the last 5 minutes doing standing pushups at the kitchen counter. Try some jumping jacks, or squats.
- We’re all supposed to do 2 minutes of brushing, twice a day. While you’re brushing, you’re bored, right? Many of us make faces in the mirror, or hum a tune, and wind up cutting our brushing time short. Try this instead: Do some calf raises by stepping up onto your tippy toes while you brush. Stand on one leg and do balance exercises. Do some wall sits or standing crunches to improve your abs. Between flossing, and the morning and night routine, there’s an easy 5 minutes every day.
- It’s hard to stay motivated to work out while you’re watching tv, even though it’s the perfect time for it. Start with something really minimal: do a set of squats, wall pushups, or lunges every time there’s a commercial break.
- Got a 5-minute break at work? Spend it going up and down the stairs. Not only does this contribute to your daily workout, but it also wakes up and invigorates you while you’re at work.
Yoga Goes Anywhere
We often picture yoga as something that requires a class’s investment. You need the materials, the quiet, and an instructor… right? Wrong! Yoga is adaptable, and you can take it anywhere. Next time you’re on a business trip, download a 15-minute exercise onto your ipod. In the morning, take a moment to center yourself and stretch. The clarity, strength, and calm that you get from yoga will soon have you craving it as part of your morning routine.
Stay Safe
Perhaps the biggest drawback of small increments of exercise throughout the day is that sometimes we forget safety rules. Without taking time to warm up, or to understand our tools and gear, our workouts can become unsafe. Remember to listen to your body, and warm up first in order to prevent injury. Follow other tips for exercising safely here.
So next time you’re tempted to ask, “who has time for exercise?”… the answer is everyone does! Stop thinking of it as a major time investment and start thinking of it as a daily upgrade to your usual life.
