Ways to Build Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

Ways to Build Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

Plan a realistic fitness schedule. Hit the snooze button five times each morning? It’s unlikely an early AM fitness routine will last longer than a few days. The most important part of figuring out when to work out is to find a time that’s convenient for you (just make sure the gym or studio of choice is open during those same hours!).

Have fun (seriously). No surprise here: The more fun the workout, the more likely we’ll keep at it. Hate cycling? Don’t force yourself to sit through a spin class. One caveat: Give activities a fair shot before writing them off for good. Though the first few minutes of a workout might be unpleasant, the exercise high at the end might make up for it — and keep you going back for more!

During the Work Day:

• Stand up to take phone calls.
• Go for a walk at lunch.
• Take the stairs.
• Walk to the break room, water cooler or restroom every 90 minutes or so. (Set an alarm on your phone so you don’t forget.)
• If you have the time, use your lunch break to go to the gym.
• Commute by bike to work.
• If you’re really busy with work, stretch/exercise at your desk.
• Have a question for a coworker? Walk to their desk instead of sending an email.
• When possible, court clients with meetings centered around activities like golf or social fitness classes.
• Invest in some office-friendly fitness equipment.

When you're at home:

• Play fitness oriented video games, like Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution.
• Dance around your house just for fun.
• Clean. (It totally counts as exercise.)
• Play with your pets.
• Do a few sets of body-weight exercises (squats lunges, push-ups, burpees, etc.) any time you have an extra 5 or 10 minutes to spare, during commercial breaks while watching TV or in between episodes if you’re watching Netflix.

When you're out and about:

• Walk or ride your bike to your destination whenever possible.
• Park your car as far away from the door as possible when running errands.
• If you use public transportation, ride standing up. And if you have the time, get off one or two stops early and walk the extra distance.
• At the mall or department store: take the stairs and skip escalators and elevators.
• Instead of always opting for sedentary plans, like going to the movies, schedule more adventurous weekend activities like bike rides, park dates or easy day-hikes.

Sit on exercise ball

Maintaining good posture while you work is a form of exercise! Sitting on an exercise ball, for example, or other highly supportive chair can encourage good posture, increased blood flow, better balance, and even help to improve your core strength. Being uncomfortable while you work and poorly positioned for several hours each day can have a serious impact on your health, your mood, your energy level, and even the quality of your work or your productivity levels.
Don’t eat lunch at your desk
Avoid the temptation to eat while you work. Better yet, get outside to eat and incorporate a nice walk into your lunch break. If you find yourself frequently relying on meal delivery services to bring food straight to your office, change gears here and force yourself to walk to get your food.
Stretches at your desk
Finally, it’s very likely that you’re still going to be sitting at your desk or in front of a computer for several hours a day. It’s just unavoidable for most people. Aside from making sure that you’re sitting in a good chair or on an exercise ball, don’t forget that you can still “move” even when you’re seated.

Exercise Circuit

Here are a couple of exercise circuits that require no equipment. You can do these virtually anywhere!

In a circuit, you’ll do each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able).
The goal is to complete three rounds each circuit with a 30 second break in between.
Because all of these exercises come one after another, you’re bound to get tired – and that’s okay!
It’s better to stop and take a break than to do an exercise incorrectly.
Choose the circuit that suits your fitness level the best and begin!
This is a perfect circuit that will not take too long that anyone can fit into their schedules.

Circuit 1: Beginner

• 20 Body-weight squats
• 10 Push-ups
• 10 Walking Lunges (each leg)
• 15 Second Plank
• 30 Jumping Jacks

Circuit 2: Intermediate

• 20 Squat Jumps
• 15 Incline Push-ups (position feet on a chair)
• 20 Skater Lunges (10 each leg)
• 30 Mountain Climbers
• 20 Burpees

Circuit 3: Challenging

• 20 Jumping Lunges
• 15 Power Push-up with Hand Clap
• 20 Lateral Lunges (10 each leg)
• 20 Reverse Crunches
• 20 Plank Jacks