I just don't have time. How can I fit exercise in?
- Lisa Newman-Morris
- Oct 1, 2018
- 3 min read
This is such an easy question to answer. But first of all, I have to say, lets drop the ‘I can't fit exercise in’ excuse. It's not valid. It's a choice. Instead, what you should be saying to be honest with yourself is ‘I choose not to fit exercise in at this point in my life’.
Honesty is always the best policy!
We always choose how we spend our time and when you choose other things over exercise, that's still a choice. Granted, you may be choosing family responsibilities or social functions or rest over exercise and that's fine. But those things are still a choice.
Ok, now onto the answer to the question. There are hundreds of opportunities to fit incidental exercise into every day. It’s amazing how much each little bit adds up. Some of these suggestions may suit your lifestyle, some may not.
Here are 33 suggestions for adding more incidental exercise into your day:
Walk to work instead of drive.
Catch public transport more often which force you to walk at least part of the journey.
Park at the farthest end of the car park instead of trying to find the closet park.
If you are making several stops at the local shopping centre (perhaps supermarket, post office, coffee shop), then do one stop at a time and return to the car inbetween.
Take the dog for a walk twice per day instead of once.
Offer to walk the neighbour's dog.
Grab the neighbour and go for a walk after dinner.
Grab a colleague and walk at lunch time.
Fly a kite.
Help a friend move house.
Walk to the post box instead of driving.
Get to work 15 minutes early with your trainers and walk before you start in the office.
Instead of sending an interoffice memo via email, get up and walk to the persons desk.
Bring the shopping in from the car one bag at a time.
Carry your shopping bags instead of using a trolley.
Lie on the floor and do some abdominal curls while watching TV instead of sitting on the couch.
If you have any type of exercise machine collecting dust or being used as a clothes rack dust it off and use it while watching TV instead of sitting on the couch.
If you are constrained to a desk or chair, jig your legs! There all sorts of movements you can do with your legs while seated. You can do mini start jumps moving your feet in and out together. Scissor movements switching your legs alternately forward and back along the ground. Marching movements. Stand up and down 5-10 times every ½ an hour. You may look silly but hey who cares. At least you’ll be fitter and healthier!
Do squats while you wash the dishes.
Do 20 butt clenches at every stop light in the car.
Do lunges while you hang the washing on the line.
Take the washing from the laundry a few items at a time instead of all together in one basket.
Wash the car yourself instead of at a car wash.
Do more gardening.
Play physical games with the kids.
Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Take the long way instead of the short cut.
Walk instead of using the escalator / travelator.
Instead of a swear jar, create a swear exercise corner! 3 burpees for every swear word!
Do a squat every time you pass a certain point in your home.
Do 10 can cans every time your phone rings.
Do 5 pushups for each time you log onto Facebook.
Go for that walk even if you do only have 10 minutes. An extra 10 minutes every day adds up to 70 minutes extra walking every week, over 60 extra hours of exercise per year! That could burn around 18,000 extra calories each year. If you did 10 extra minutes of exercise every day, that equates to a loss of nearly 3 kilograms of body fat every year!!
Look for ways to add incidental exercise into every day. It’s not hard. There are opportunities at every moment. Take the healthy choice instead of the easy choice. Take the long way instead of the short cut. Enjoy being active. Enjoy life!
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