When you are very busy with everyday duties it can be difficult to stick to a workout plan daily. While we all know there are many benefits to being active- preventing chronic illnesses for one- finding time or motivation for exercise is still challenging. Here are some creative ways to incorporate physical activity into your workday:
1. Walk around your building
Whether it’s your home office or the building where you work- try to find as many chances to walk or move as you can. Find the nearest staircase during your 10-minute break and do runs up and down to get your heart rate going. Even a short walk can burn around 50 calories (depending on your weight) and the more of these you do during the day, the better! A bit of exercise will add up and will benefit your health in the long run.
2. Pair it with something you enjoy
Walking back from work? Put on your favorite podcast and take a longer route home- in that way you'll have time to listen to the whole program without anyone interrupting you. You can also try doing some sit-ups while watching TV or doing squats when you’re brushing your teeth.
3. Stretch at your desk
You don't need to do a full 1-hour yoga class to stretch and reduce discomfort after sitting down all day. Here you can find an example of exercises to try at your desk. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and feel the aches and pains go away. All without interruption with your busy schedule!
4. Wear a fitness tracker
Wearing a fitness tracker like a smartwatch provides real-time multidimensional feedback on physiological and health parameters including steps, calories burned, distance covered, active time, sleep assessment, and heart rate. You can see exactly how many steps you are taking or how many calories you are burning during the day, and if the results are quite low- you want to improve, right? That’s why studies are showing that wearing these devices promotes a significant increase in physical activity. You start to look for ways to incorporate movement into your routine.
5. Make cleaning count
Household activities are a great way to get you moving! For example, by sweeping or mopping you can burn about 240 calories an hour. Want to add a little bit of resistance to the daily chores? Try putting on ankle weights and voilà! Workout guaranteed.
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