5 WAYS TO FIT FITNESS INTO YOUR DAY

5 WAYS TO FIT FITNESS INTO YOUR DAY

We all know that we should be exercising more to help with weight loss, to improve our health, or to maintain our current weight. But with our busy schedules, it can be tough to find time to fit in fitness. No longer! It’s time to stop making excuses for our lack of exercise. Here are five easy things to try that will help you make fitness a regular part of your daily routine on a medical weight loss plan – no excuses allowed!

  1. Listen to your natural rhythms. If you’re already a morning person, you may not mind waking up an hour earlier to take a walk or go to the gym. But if you can hardly get out of bed to go to work or take care of the kids, attempting to fit in and exercise in the morning hours would just be foolish. Instead, make an effort to do something physically active after dinner. Have your spouse or a friend watch the kids or find a gym with childcare so you can take this important time to help improve your health.
  2. Use your lunch hour for more than eating. If you’re like most people who work in an office, you hardly leave your desk during the lunch hour. But you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to get your body moving – which may even give you more energy after lunch and help you avoid the mid-afternoon slump. Recruit a co-worker to go window shopping or stroll around a local park. Then even if you end up eating at your desk when you get back, you’ll do so with a sense of accomplishment.
  3. Take the long way around. You’ve heard this one before, but it works:  Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Find a parking spot far away from your building so you get in a little extra walking. Go chat with a co-worker in person instead of emailing or calling them on the phone. All of these small steps can add up to big gains when they’re continued over time.
  4. Exercise in short spurts. No one said your 30 minutes of exercise had to be done all at once. If you have 10 minutes in the morning to run out to the store, 15 minutes in the afternoon to play with your kids outside, and 5 minutes in the evening to lift some weights, that’s perfectly fine. Do what you can when you can and the benefits will add up.
  5. Make a fitness date with a friend. Instead of meeting up to go get dessert, why not recruit a friend to accompany you to that yoga class you’ve always wanted to try? Getting or staying in shape together can be a bonding experience, and it’s always more motivating to work out with a friend. You may enjoy it so much that your “fitness dates will become regularly scheduled get-togethers!

Finally, remember that exercise isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. If you weren’t able to fit in fitness yesterday, there’s still time to do it today!