by Matt Weik
Working out doesn’t always have to mean hours of running on a treadmill or spending your afternoon in the gym. Exercise can be fun and creative when you’re short on time, and it’s not just adults who can benefit.
It can be hard to find ways to fit in more exercise when you’re short on time. But for those of us who are busy and juggling a million things, it’s important to carve out some active time for ourselves. It’s just one way to make sure we stay healthy and energized enough to keep up with our many responsibilities.
Now, you may have told yourself a time or twelve that you don’t have time to workout (today). Well, in this article, we are going to look at several ways that you can get more exercise daily, even when you feel you’re under severe time constraints.
Let’s dive in!
6 Ways to Get More Exercise Daily When You Don’t Have Much Time
If you have trouble fitting exercise into your schedule, try one or more of these creative ways to get more exercise when you are running short on time.
1. Get to Steppin’
One way to get more exercise during your day is by walking. When you have errands to run, see if there’s a way you could walk instead of taking an elevator. Park further away from stores and walk across the parking lot. The same can be said about parking at the office in the morning. Get up and walk to an associate’s desk instead of sending an email. Finding ways to walk more is a great way to get more exercise daily and be less sedentary.
2. Take Advantage of Technology
If you don’t want to go to the gym or hire a trainer, you can use the many types of apps available today to help you stay motivated and keep track of your fitness goals.
You can also find videos online that show you how to do certain exercises so that you don’t have to pay for a personal trainer. Take advantage of this new technology by using it for your workouts! Best of all, most of the apps you find out there today are free to use. Or, use YouTube to find some workouts you can do at home and save yourself time by not needing to drive to and from the gym.
3. Find Ways to Make Everyday Activities Count
While you won’t want to waste good workout time cooking, for example, you can still get exercise while you’re in the kitchen. Try doing some planks or squats while your pasta is boiling, or do wall sits with your favorite cookbook in hand while preparing ingredients.
You can also find ways to work out while watching TV by doing sit-ups during commercial breaks or lunges on either side of the couch while your favorite show is on.
4. Speed Walking
Speed walking is a great way to get more exercise when you are short on time. Speed walking is just as effective as running in helping to maintain or lose weight and improve your cardiovascular health.
It also happens to be much easier on the knees, hips, and back than running. Plus, it’s versatile. While you can take advantage of the extra calories burned while running errands or just getting from one place to another, it’s also a type of exercise that can easily fit in with other routines, such as going to the gym or playing recreational sports.
5. Try Out a 10-Minute Workout
Life is busy, and we all have the same number of hours in a day. But even with our packed schedules, there’s no reason we can’t get in some exercise — it’s all about how we use our time.
One way to do this is with a quick 10-Minute Workout. Each workout includes three different kinds of exercises: cardio, strength training, and core training.
- The cardio portion gets your heart rate up to increase oxygen flow through your body and helps burn calories.
- The strength training keeps your bones and muscles healthy and strong, which helps prevent injuries and supports you throughout your daily life.
- The core training strengthens your back, abs, and pelvis so that you can better support yourself in a standing or sitting position.
The beauty of these workouts is that they’re balanced enough to give you an effective workout without wasting time on things that don’t matter as much. In fact, after doing these workouts for at least a few weeks, you’ll be able to feel the difference in your body’s ability to function more efficiently throughout the day!
Use 10-Minute Workouts in a circuit where you move from one exercise to the next with zero or minimal rest between sets and exercises.
6. Stretch It Out
If you have a limited amount of time to exercise, it’s better to do something than nothing,
and stretching can be a great way to get the body moving. Stretching doesn’t burn a lot of calories, but it can help protect the joints and muscles from injury.
The Mayo Clinic recommends doing flexibility exercises for two or more days per week. Another good option is yoga, which does require some equipment but is otherwise easily adaptable to fit into a busy schedule. It will help maintain flexibility and pliability of the muscles and offer some cardiovascular benefits as well.
