Keeping fit is as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. You either find the time in your busy schedule to exercise and stay physically active, or you don’t. You already know the mental and physical benefits that exercise delivers. So why aren’t you scheduling exercise on a regular basis?
Listed below are 7 simple ideas for fitting exercise into your working day. This means even the busiest business professional has no more excuses for not staying physically active.
1 – Exercise When You Are on the Phone
Deep knee bends, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, bicep curls – all of these exercises can be performed when you are stuck on a boring conference call or other work-related phone call.
2 – Exercise on Your Way To and From Work
Jog or walk to and from your job. Cycle if the distance is too far to walk in a reasonable amount of time. If you live close to your job, your commute could become your daily exercise plan.
3 – Look For 5 and 10 Minute Holes in Your Day
Most workdays are very routine. They are also imperfect. That means that there are several times throughout the day where you have 5 or 10 minutes when you can be exercising, instead of playing Candy Crush on Facebook or checking your e-mail for the hundredth time.
4 – Awaken 15 Minutes Earlier Than Usual
Tomorrow morning, wake up 15 or 20 minutes early. When you walk outside to pick up the morning paper, add a 15 minute power walk around your neighborhood. You can alternately use this time to enjoy some body weight training, a couple of sets of sit-ups or push-ups, or a quick yoga or Pilates session.
5 – Purchase Multiple Dumbbell or Kettlebell Sets
Many of your workday activities are hands-free thanks to technology. Why not put those hands to work with a set of dumbbells or Kettlebells ? Keeping a set of dumbbells or Kettlebells at home and even at work ensures that you can grab a quick upper body workout several times throughout the day.
6 – Add Exercise to Your Workday Planner
Odds are, you probably have a physical or virtual workday calendar. Make exercise a part of your work schedule. Coupled with tip #3 above, taking the time to add exercise sessions to your office calendar improves your chances of following through.
7 – Trade Sweets and Processed Foods for Healthy Snacks
When you get that mid-morning crash, reach for a handful of walnuts or almonds instead of a sugar-filled, processed snack. Naturally healthy snacks regulate high energy levels throughout the day. They don’t deliver the crash and burn that sugar does, and don’t cause you to gain weight, which may make you feel lethargic and not like exercising.
