Practical Ways to Fit More Exercise Into Your Day

Last updated on March 12th, 2024 at 03:36 pm

Do you wish you could fit more exercise into your day? Yes, I know we’re all busy, but there are small changes you can make to your everyday routines to add in exercise here and there. With time, those small changes become habits.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have to set aside excessive amounts of time to get a good workout in. When we don’t have an entire hour in our day for exercise, we tend to scrap the whole exercise idea.

The Mayo Clinic says that even small spurts of exercise is better than no exercise at all. If your life doesn’t lend to committing copious amounts of time to the treadmill, you can still be healthy and fit!

Thirty minutes a day is the general recommendation for exercise. Don’t have 30 minutes in your day to get your heart pumping? That’s okay! Split your workouts into five to 10 minute chunks throughout the day.

Here are some very practical ways to fit more exercise into your day that hardly take any extra time at all:

• Take the stairs. While you won’t be burning hundreds of calories from trudging up a flight of stairs, you will burn some. And you’ll get your blood pumping. Have an armload of things? Even better.
  

• Park far away. How often do we spend more time driving around looking for a closer parking spot when we could already be in the building had we just taken the open space in the back? You’ll be saving time and burning calories by parking further away.

• Stand more. Whether you’re making work calls or watching your kids at the park, take the opportunity to stand up. Might as well walk around a little while you’re at it.

• Keep weights by the couch. If you’re going to watch TV, keep the weights nearby and do some lifting–or squats or jog in place or whatever your heart fancies.

• Walk the dog. Instead of sitting on a bench at the dog park, get up and go for a brisk walk with your pup. Your dog and your body will both benefit!

• Take extra trips. Instead of carrying as many bags of groceries as you can at once, take a couple extra trips to your trunk. Same goes for laundry. Or dishes. Or that pile of toys in the living room.

• Do things yourself. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has asked my kids to grab something for me. Run your own errands! Ever sent a text to the person in the next room? Just keeping your phone out of reach will get you moving more!

• Speed clean. Cleaning house in general is a good way to work off some calories, but add some speed to it and you’ll probably break a sweat!

• Play with the kids. What better way to fit more exercise into your day than by having fun with the kids? And, it’s good for them too. Jump on the trampoline. Wrestle. Play tag. Go for a hike. Have a dance party. Push them on a swing.

• Make it a mindset. Standing in the checkout line? Brushing your teeth? Get in some calf raises or squats.  Do you need to reheat your coffee? Push-ups or jumping jacks. Done. There’s opportunity for a little exercise all throughout your day. It’s simply a mindset. Recognize the opportunities and get moving!

How do you fit more exercise into your day? Leave us a comment, and share your ideas.

You might also like these posts:
5 Reasons You Should Take Up Running
6 Benefits of Strength Training

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