Fitting Fitness In

You’ve been told to exercise.  You understand that it is good for you.  But you are TOO BUSY!

How do you fit fitness into your life?  Here are 5 quick ways to get 30 minutes of movement into each day:

1.      Do 30 minutes of yoga before going to bed.  You’ll sleep better and experience less joint pain in the morning.  Never done yoga?  You can take a beginning class at a gym like The Conditioning Classroom.  Or you can pick up one of the many DVD’s available online.

2.      Do 100 squats each day.  Not all at once . . . break it up. Do 25 while you’re brushing your teeth; do 10 squats each time you take a phone call; finish out the day with enough squats to reach 100 while you are watching American Idol or whatever reality show floats your boat.

3.      Take a 30-minute walk in the evening with your spouse.  Actually talk to each other.  Additional activity may result.

4.      If you do 10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes before lunch, and then 10 minutes before dinner . . . you have 30 minutes total.  Think of it like this:  Do jumping jacks before eating your Flap Jacks in the morning.  Lunge at lunch.  Sit Ups before sitting down for supper. Those 30 minutes flew by and you didn’t miss a thing!

5.      Take 5 minutes and schedule an appointment into each day for exercise.  Actually write it into your calendar.  Tell your assistant this appointment is sacred.  Start to believe that the sky will indeed fall if you miss this appointment.  Then use that time to go for a bike ride or a swim.  Or take a class.  Or go to the gym and meet with a personal trainer.

These 5 simple ideas will help you begin to fit fitness into your life and you will begin to experience all of its stress-reducing benefits.  Your heart will thank you. Your family will thank you. And that spring in your step will absolutely increase your effectiveness at work.  If you need help putting a plan into action, let me know.