Whether you are a full-time member of the workforce or an all-the-time parent, we at Recipe4Living understand one thing; you’re busy! Between the many demands of daily life, many people find it difficult to fit in regular scheduled exercise.  While we all know that exercise helps us stay healthy and maintain a proper weight, experts on the matter continually emphasize how just 30 minutes of exercise a day decreases fatigue and gives you more energy overall. This means that daily exercise actually makes it easier for you to perform all those tasks in your busy days. More importantly, 30 minutes of exercise a day does not have to be a huge strain on your schedule. In fact, adding short bouts of exercise to your day even through lifestyle activities, such as gardening or taking the stairs, can be just as beneficial to your health. A study done at the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research found this to be the case. Check it out here. 

With simple practices that you might not have thought of, sneaking exercise into your day can be a snap.

Oomph Your Daily Practice

• Take the stairs! Whether you work or live in a building with an elevator, take the stairs whenever possible. Climbing up stairs for four minutes burns 50 calories, which really adds up over the course of the week.  If you live or work on a high number floor, climb a couple flights of stairs and then hop on the elevator.
• Pass up that close parking spot at work, the grocery store, etc. Park on the other side of the lot and make the longer trek. Better yet, save gas, park your car several blocks away from work, and walk the remaining distance. If you take the bus or train to work, simply get off at an earlier stop.
•  Forget the drive-through/drive-up. Park your car and walk into the bank, pharmacy, coffee shop, dry cleaners, or fast-food restaurant (although not the healthiest dining option). The extra walks will add up and really make a difference.
• Fit in some exercise during the commercial breaks of your must-see show. Instead of loading up on snacks, take this time to do some jumping jacks, crunches or push-ups. Lie down on the floor, tighten your abdominal muscles and do at least 15 crunch repetitions. If traditional push-ups are too difficult for you, stand back from a table, desk, or couch so that your body is at a 45 degree angle, and lower your body down for 10 or more repetitions.
• Clean the house or wash your car. While folding laundry or doing dishes, do a ballerina exercise. Stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out to the sides, and slowly lower down, keeping your knees in line with your toes, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause and raise back up, squeezing you butt muscles. If you can, raise up immediately onto the balls of your feet before returning to the start position. Do this 10 to 15 times. Vacuuming is also a great exercise for arm and leg muscles.
• While carrying grocery or shopping bags, work out your biceps with some curls. Keep your elbows at your sides and your palms up, and raise the bags towards your shoulders several times.

This is Exercise?

• No matter what many people say, window shopping is great exercise. Grab some friends or family members and head to the mall. Bonus points if you carry a toddler or push a stroller. You can go earlier, before serious shoppers arrive, to have more room to walk briskly.
• Go to the zoo or a museum and attend fairs and festivals. These places are designed to keep you walking around.
• Play with the kids. Demonstrate how to skip, gallop, or crab walk. Break out the hula hoop or jump-rope. Take your kids to the park and play tag. Put on some music, hand out scarves, and dance with your kids.  Kids are sure to give you a great workout if you let them!
• Work on that green thumb. Gardening is great exercise no matter your level of expertise. Try putting in a window unit if your knees give you trouble. Mowing the grass, pulling weeds, or raking are also great forms of exercise that get you outdoors.

That Extra Little Effort

• Improve your posture. Stand or sit taller with a straight back, shoulders lowered, and head held high. Not only will this effort make you feel prouder and more confident, practicing proper posture causes dozens of muscles contractions all along your body. These contractions burn calories and strengthen muscles.
• As you get dressed in the morning, sneak in some stretches and extra exercise. Bend down and touch your toes to put on shoes and socks. While brushing your teeth, balance on one leg and then the other to strengthen leg and ankle muscles
• While waiting in line, talking on the phone, or on a coffee break, do some simple yet beneficial calf raises. Just raise your heels off the ground and lower several times.
• Make yourself popular and offer to help your neighbors, coworkers and others when things need to be moved. An average person burns 50 calories with just 10 minutes of lifting and moving.
• While sitting in traffic or at a red light, you can perform lots of little exercises.

Exercise at the Office

• Take a longer route to your desk. After a trip to the bathroom or drinking fountain, add a few laps around the office before returning to your desk.
• Deliver messages and other information to coworkers in person instead of using the phone, e-mail, or instant messenger.
• Keep a tension or tennis ball on your desk and squeeze for several repetitions throughout the day, such as when you are on the phone. You can also try some pretty Chinese exercise balls, which you roll together around your hand for strength and agility in your arms.
• Go for a brisk mid-morning walk around the building with a coworker. A 10 minute walk will get your blood moving and give you more energy for the rest of the day.
• Your office chair is a great tool for exercise. Do some squats using the back of the chair for balance. Lower down as though you were sitting in a chair until your thighs are parallel with the floor, hold, and return to starting position. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Or, do some dips from the front of your chair. Sit on the edge of a stationary chair and grasp the edge with your feet firm on the ground and back straight. Support yourself with your arms, move your butt forward out of the seat, and lower your body down 8-10 inches before using your arms to push yourself back up.
• If you have a more private office with enough space, lay down a yoga mat and fit in a couple minutes of yoga during the day. Try doing a couple of rounds Sun Salutations, easily demonstrated here at The Yoga Site.