Time for Exercise

Not every bit of exercise you do has to be a full blown workout or even a 10 minute walk. There are plenty of little things you can do to exercise more.

Start by parking out further in the parking lot every place you go. The extra walking makes a small difference, but it adds up. It also saves the frustration of looking for a space close up in crowded parking lots while generally requiring very little additional time.

Skip the escalators and elevators. Find the stairs and use them. Okay, maybe if you work on the 50th floor this isn’t practical, but if it’s just a matter of a few flights, go for it. And if you do work too high up, get off on a somewhat lower floor and then take the stairs.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again here: take a walk on your breaks at work. It’s far more refreshing than sitting in the break room. Take a longer walk after eating lunch.

These next two take a bit more time out of your day, but they can still often be added easily into your day.

Get outside and play! Find some friends or drag the kids out and play. Whatever your favorite sport is, you’re likely to get a fair workout. You are all likely to appreciate the benefits of playing together outside.

Use your car less. With today’s gas prices, that’s generally a good idea, but it’s also good to walk to those places that are close enough. When I lived close enough to the grocery store, I walked to it. I used my daughter’s wagon (hadn’t had my son yet at the time) to take her along, locked it up outside the store, and used it to carry the groceries home. If the walk is relatively short, even the milk and ice cream will do just fine. For somewhat longer trips, try using a bicycle.

If you’re driving the kids to school, you can also consider walking them instead if the school is close enough. It’s teaching them a good habit too.

It’s easy to get lazy just not make the effort to walk a little more. However, it is quite simple to change that habit and get just a little bit more exercise into your daily routine.