Starting a new exercise routine can be a chore or it can be a joy.
It depends on your attitude. We all know that regular exercise is good for our bodies. Health professionals say 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise can reduce your risk of a heart attack, help you manage your weight, lower blood pressure, strengthen your bones, and lower the risk of diabetes and some cancers.
And if that wasn’t incentive enough, studies have shown exercise can lift your spirits and alleviate depression.
The challenge comes in fitting exercise into a daily routine. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom dealing with toddlers, a high-powered executive or busy entrepreneur, wedging 30 minutes of exercise into your day might seem impossible. But it’s actually easier than you think. It just requires shifting your mindset and tweaking your normal daily activities.
Here are 5 Simple Ways You Can Get More Daily Exercise:
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Park Your Car at A Distance:
How many times do you drive somewhere each day? Instead of searching for that perfect parking spot close to the building entrance, park your vehicle as far away as you can from the front door. Those extra steps may not seem like much, but over time, they add up!
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Climb the Stairs.
Skip the elevator or escalator when you’re out and about and climb the stairs instead. Make it fun by challenging yourself to see how fast you can climb! My office is on the second floor of my home, so I go up and down stairs several times a day. Sometimes, I’ll even spend a couple of minutes stepping one foot at a time on the lowest step, and then stepping off again. You can really work up a sweat in no time doing this!
(For more ideas on how to exercise with stairs, check out this resource from the Mayo Clinic) (*)
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Stand Up.
If you sit at a desk all day, you’re at risk of developing a variety of health problems from obesity to heart disease and even cancer. To minimize your health risk and get more exercise, take a break every 30 minutes and stand up. Or invest in a standing desk so you can ditch the chair altogether, and still get your job done. If you like watching TV at night, get off the couch and stand up during your favorite show. And make it a practice to stand up when talking on the phone. You can use this time to tighten your abdominal muscles so you’re strengthening your core while you talk as an added bonus!
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Wash and Dry Dishes by Hand:
Dishwashers are wonderful timesaving inventions, but doing dishes the old fashioned way by hand is great exercise. Not only do you have to stand-up, but you get to give your arms a workout too. You can use this time for silent meditation, or listen to your favorite tunes and swing your hips while you wash and dry for some extra calorie burning.
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Exercise with A Buddy (human or canine!):
You’re more likely to stick to a routine when you have accountability. Find a friend who will encourage you to exercise, or better yet, exercise with you! Make a pact to do some type of exercise several times a week, such as running, walking, biking, or taking a yoga class together.
Consider getting a dog if you don’t have one already. They’re the perfect walk companions! Take your favorite pooch out for a morning or evening stroll. You’ll both benefit from the workout, and it should come as no surprise that dog owners get more exercise than people without dogs.
Fitting daily exercise into your already busy day doesn’t have to be difficult.
Follow these examples shared above and have some fun! The payoff will be a healthier and happier you.
– Gloria
Are you ready to make some changes in your activity level? Consider a one-on-one private health assessment with Gloria. I invite you to put yourself first.
Resource:
- (*) https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/7-quick-stair-exercises-to-do-at-home/art-20390063
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Gloria Grace Rand is an award-winning SEO blogger, professional speaker, workshop leader, and mastermind facilitator. As an internationally known leading expert in online marketing, Gloria helps service-based companies create a profitable online presence through her SEO copywriting services, coaching, and masterminds.
