You probably know how important exercise is for your physical and mental well-being, but wondering how to sneak exercise in. For example, since black coffee burns calories, people tend to switch to their favorite blend of coffee from sugary drinks. While your best intention is to follow a workout routine, you probably find yourself struggling to find the time. In today’s demanding, fast-paced, tech-driven world, major physicality is lost in our day to day lives. But we have some simple ways of incorporating exercise in your daily life.
Take the Stairs
Whenever possible, always opt to take the stairs. They are great to get your heart rate up. So if you work in a multi-story building, why take the elevator when climbing stairs is so good for your health. Even if you have to reach the 20th floor of a building, consider using the elevator only part of the way and step up the rest. If you are out and about and have the option, choose climbing stairs. It may seem a little difficult if you’re not used to it, but over time your body will adapt to it and you’ll feel more energetic. To increase the challenge, you can aim for two steps at a time instead of one. If that’s not doable, try stepping on the stairs with the front half of your feet; this slight shift of where you place the weight has an amazing toning effect on your buttocks and legs.
Take Advantage of Stationary Time
When standing in a line for errands or hanging around for public transportation, use the time to move different parts of your body. Flex your abdominal muscles or do some calf raises, squats, or stretches to sneak exercise in. If you don’t want to draw too much attention, simply squeeze your glutes. While sitting at red lights, squeeze your abs tight. To engage your core, draw your navel in towards your spine and bear down. Remember to breathe throughout. Never hold your breath while exercising.
Walk and Talk
While taking phone calls make it a point to walk and talk. You don’t have to be glued to your chair to discuss important work or personal matters. Some offices have walking pathways that make it easier to burn calories. If you work from home, take a walk around the neighborhood or on your treadmill during your calls. Remember every second that you don’t spend sitting contributes to improving your health.
Squat while You Brush Your Teeth
Brushing your teeth is something you do every morning. If you can do some exercises at the same time, it’s a win-win. Do some squats or lunges while you brush. It may sound funny, but it’s truly effective. It gets your heart beating, builds stronger glutes, and also strengthens your quads. Besides, it will teach you to multi-task and you’ll also brush longer which means cleaner teeth.
Inner Thigh Workout while You Type
If you’re too busy to get up from your desk to exercise for a bit, this is something you can do even while typing away. Place a medicine ball between your knees and squeeze them together as hard as possible for about 3 seconds and relax. Repeat it about 10-15 times. The exercise strengthens your inner thighs which is extremely important in keeping balance and stabilizing your hips. It also keeps away lower backache problems and knee pains that you’d get if you keep sitting for long periods of time.
Touch Your Toes
Touching your toes is one of the simplest exercises you can do. It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes and can be done anywhere. The exercise has tons of benefits for your overall health. It increases your range of motion and boosts your flexibility which in turn helps in carrying out any workout routine. Flexibility is vital to building muscle and also helps to protect against accidents and injuries. So, next time you’re waiting for something, like your coffee to brew, sneak in some toe touches.
Lunge Walk from Room to Room
Lunges are the key when it comes to building core strength, improving hip flexibility and tightening the lower body. Bringing in a walking motion to your lunge is called a “lunge walk” and it has enormous benefits for your cardiovascular health. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a big step forward with your right foot, while lowering your body as much as comfortably possible or until the right thigh is parallel to the floor. Then lift up your body and take another large step forward with your left foot now in front of you and lower your body again. Continue the lunge walk from room to room in your house until you reach your destination. These walks take little time and can get your heart rate up in a few steps. This is a definite way to sneak exercise into your daily routine.
Practice Proper Posture
Whether you’re standing or sitting, always pay special attention to your posture. The wrong posture may have adverse effects on your body in the long term. The correct one will not only make you look confident but also help burn a lot of calories. This is because when you sit up or stand up straight the muscles in your back and neck are constantly engaged. If you slump, your muscles go unused.
Do the Grocery Shopping
If you aren’t the grocery-shopper in your household as yet, volunteer to take up the task. Walking up and down aisles, carrying or pushing a cart, and even stretching yourself up and down to reach for the items on the shelves is a lot of exercise in itself. Also, you get to choose and bring home healthy and nutritious food items at the same time.
Total Body Stretch While You Shower
As you incorporate various small time-saving exercises into your daily routine, don’t forget to stretch out your muscles to prevent soreness and strains. Stretching improves blood flow to your muscle tissues which in turn helps in moving your body around. And what better time to do a full-body stretch than in a shower when your muscles are already relaxed and warmed up. It’s both convenient and beneficial.
Final Word
While there is no substitute for a focused and well-planned workout, there is also no reason why you should let a busy schedule become a hindrance to your fitness goals. This is because even throughout a jam-packed day, there are ample opportunities to sneak exercise in. With little smart bouts of exercises, you can make your workouts less intimidating and more instinctive and fun.