5 Tips to Keep Yourself Active
Between work, commuting, running errands, taking care of family and sleeping, it might feel like you only have about 10 minutes of free time every week. No wonder it’s so hard to fit in time for exercise! Because you can’t add any more hours to the day, the easiest way to get more physical activity is to make some simple tweaks to your normal workday routine. Try them out for yourself!
Find an Exercise Buddy
Making yourself accountable to another person is hugely helpful when you’re trying to get more exercise. Ask a friend to join you each day on a lunchtime walk or arrange to walk around your neighborhood for 20 minutes first thing in the morning. In a large workplace, you might even set up a walking club that meets each day.
Set Up a Workplace “Gym”
Putting a weight rack next to your desk would definitely raise some eyebrows, but you can easily bring in more discreet workout gear to your workplace. Stash some hand weights in a drawer and do bicep curls during conference calls, or unroll a yoga mat behind your desk and do some stretches and poses when no one’s around. A resistance band is the perfect workplace exercise tool. Do leg stretches while you’re sitting at your desk – no one will know you’re getting in a workout.
Take Work With You
If you’re a customer service rep or air traffic control, you can’t work away from your desk. But if you do have any flexibility about moving around, take advantage of it. If you can use a cell phone for work calls, walk up and down the hallway or sidewalk while you talk. If you’re allowed to go offsite sometimes, walk a few blocks to a coffee shop to work for an hour. (Just don’t indulge in any of those coffee shop pastries!)
Swap Out Your Chair
Sitting on a stability ball requires you to engage your core muscles and move around a lot to keep your balance. It’s an adjustment at first, but this is one simple swap that can help you burn calories without taking you away from your desk. Try it at home, too.
Use Movement Timers
It’s easy to put off exercise until “later.” If that’s your habit, set a timer to go off every 30 or 60 minutes. When it beeps, get up and climb a flight of stairs, walk down the hallway or even take a few minutes to pace the room. At home, use commercial breaks as built-in timers.
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