Working in a workout
Below are some suggestions for incorporating exercise into your regular activities at work and around the house. Start by adopting one activity, and stick with it for a couple of weeks before adding another. Before you know it, you’ll find that fitness is a natural part of your daily routine.
At work
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Walk, bike, blade or jog to work once a week.
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Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
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Keep a pair of running shoes at your desk and turn lunchtime errands into a power walk.
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Each Monday, schedule a "lunch date" with yourself to walk around the block. Start with one day a week, and work up from there.
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Consider using a stability ball instead of a chair.
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Program your computer or handheld to sound an alarm reminding you to get up and stretch every hour.
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Park your car a little further away from work so you can get in a walk.
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Join a gym that offers lunchtime or after-work classes in yoga, aquafitness, boxing or some other activity you enjoy.
At home
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Keep a jump rope by the back door and skip for a few minutes each day.
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Put an exercise machine like a stationary bicycle, a treadmill or a step climber in front of the television, and work out while you watch. Start with 10 minutes and build up.
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Do 25 toe lifts each time you brush your teeth.
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Do 10 squats or stretch while you’re on the phone.
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If you’re a parent or grandparent, have a play-date with the kids in the park where you can play too — teeter-tottering, monkey bars and the swings build strength and core conditioning.
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Stretch in bed before you rise each morning or before you go to sleep at night.