Work Short Bouts of Exercise Into Your Day

short-bouts-exercise

Try this today

• Pair commercials with cardio. The typical half-hour TV show includes about eight minutes of commercials. Make the ads pass faster by hopping off the couch for some movement during your favorite sitcom. Try jogging in place during food ads, jumping jacks during car commercials and arm circles for the others.
• Walk and talk. If you’re on an audio call get up and walk around. Venturing outside is great, but you can also pace in your own home. Bonus point for walking up and down some stairs if you can.
• Get fit while folding laundry. Place your basket of clean laundry on the floor. Instead of bending at the waist to pick up each item, squat by bending your knees and reaching into the basket. Your legs will burn by the time the basket is empty.
• Don’t just wait, stretch. Check in with your body while you wait in line. Shoulders tight with stress? Do a few shoulder rolls. Legs need waking up? Pop up onto your tiptoes.
• Take the stairs — every time. Don’t use your stairs as a place to pile items that need to be moved between floors. Get more legwork into your day by going up and down every time. Don’t have stairs in your house? Head for the stairs in stores, offices, subways, etc. … whenever you can.
• Dance for your dinner. Make your time in the kitchen more active — and more fun — by turning on some favorite tunes and dancing while you cook. You’ll burn a few calories and dinner will taste even better.
• March while you brush. Use the two minutes you’re brushing your teeth to also increase your daily step count. Simply march in place as you brush.
• Take the long way. Add extra steps to your day by avoiding shortcuts. Park far from the store, instead of taking the closest spot. Take a longer route on your daily walk. Run errands on foot, if possible.
• Try yoga before bed. A few minutes of yoga practice can ease the transition to bedtime. Relaxing poses include legs up the wall and child’s pose. If you’re a yoga newbie, find a tutorial online. Start with this beginner downward facing dog instructional video with Denise Austin.

Why

We know people should typically get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week, as well as two or more days of muscle-strengthening activities, to support the health of your body and brain. But it’s not always easy to get a half-hour workout on the schedule.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you don’t have to. Instead, those 30 minutes can come from small bouts of movement throughout the day. By tweaking a few habits and pairing exercise with tasks you already do, you can find 30 minutes for daily physical activity without breaking a sweat.