Find time and creative ways to exercise
Finding time to exercise can feel like a chore. When you work multiple jobs, have other people to care for, work long hours, or don’t have the right equipment at home, exercising may be the absolute last thing on your mind. And to make matters worse, you probably feel guilty about not having the time or place to get your life right. We all know the benefits of working out; from better sleep, to improved hormone levels, increased productivity at school or work, and of course, there’s the fat burning and muscle building part everyone loves. But what you may not know is that you don’t need a lot of time, a gym, fancy equipment or even yoga pants to get your exercise on. You can turn any part of your day into a workout.
Bust a move. Turn on your favorite 21st century robot music player, and dance around for a few songs. You might be surprised to find how easy it is to get in 15 minutes of cardio by listening to a couple songs that really get you going. Your moves don’t have to be choreographed to be effective, just dance like nobody is watching. My current go to songs for dance parties include Apache by Sugar Hill Gang, Jersusalema by Master KG featuring Nomcebo, Dollar Wine by Collin Lucas, and Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson.
Multitask. Exercise can be done during any part of your day, turning your daily activities into a workout. While in your 3rd office meeting for the day, you could be doing a few leg extensions or hip abduction while you’re sitting. You can even incorporate a resistance band to make things a bit more challenging. If you sit for much of your day, you could sit on a big ball to challenge your core. If you stand for work, set a timer for 15 minutes and actively maintain “good posture” to challenge your stabilizing muscles during that time. You can even park in the far lot and use the extra walk as a part of a workout.
Break it up. At least 30 minutes of exercise is recommended for a minimum of 3 days a week. At little as this may sound for some, it might be overwhelming for many. Instead of trying to find 30 solid minutes in your day, why not find 10-15 minutes several times a day? If you decide to have a spontaneous dance party, that might only be 2 or 3 songs.
Use what you have. If you need resistance outside of your body weight, you can always use things you have laying around the house. Don’t have hand weights, use water bottles or a cans instead. A laundry basket full of clothes can come in handy for dead lifts. A belt or bed sheet can be used as a strap to get deeper into that hamstring or calf stretch. If you have access to consenting children, they can be used as weights for squats, push ups, overhead press, etc. If you live in a house with stairs, you have a built in stair master right there.
Use your imagination. When you think of doing exercise, not just wish you had done it, but actually imagine yourself doing a routine, part of your brain responds as if you’re actually doing it. You don’t get the same global effects obviously, but it’s something. This technique is known as Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) and is used in rehab to help individuals regain movement and/or reduce, pain. All you need is a good imagination for this one.
Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. You can exercise anywhere, anytime, using anything. All it takes is a little creativity. Take a week to be intentional about your movement and exercise and you just might find you get a good amount of movement in throughout your day.
If you need help to develop a daily routine, especially if you have a current injury or history of one to keep in mind, let us know, we can help.