How often do you exercise? Exercising your body is one of the best things you can do to keep your health in top shape. The American Health Organization recommends at least 2.5 hours per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity or more than an hour per week of vigorous aerobic activity. Engaging in regular physical activity can lower your risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity and high cholesterol, to name a few.
The thought of exercising alone can be exhausting, especially if you think you have to hit the gym for two hours to get in a good workout. The truth is, there are easy ways to sneak more exercise into your day without spending a bunch of money or time at the gym. Here are just a few of those ways.
Stretch Every Morning
One way to wake up your body (without that essential cup of coffee), is to stretch out your muscles. And you don’t even have to leave your bed to do it! Rather than hitting that snooze button for the third time in a row, take ten minutes to stretch out your back, shoulders, and legs with these six simple stretches. Not only will these stretches loosen tight muscles, they’ll boost your mood and give you time to mentally prepare for the day. Although stretching won’t make you break a sweat, it’ll still help improve flexibility, which is vital if you spend most of your day sitting at school or work.
Make Every Step Count
Never underestimate the power of walking! Engaging in a regular walkabout makes your bones and heart stronger, and helps to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, ease stress, and improve sleep.
If you have a desk job, it’s easy to forget to get up and move every so often. Make it a habit to take a lap around the office, fill up your water bottle, or go outside for a couple minutes of fresh air. Not only will this benefit your body, it’ll also benefit your mind, allowing you to refresh and refocus.
Monitor Your Routine
Take advantage of all the free apps out there to help keep you motivated and hold you accountable for your workout routine and food intake. Try MyFitnessPal if you want to track your daily diet; Fitness Buddy if you’re looking to monitor your strength training progress; and Runkeeper if you want to track your cardio workouts, such as running or hiking.
Work Out Around the House
Engaging in simple activities like gardening, dusting, sweeping and mowing the lawn are great ways to work up a sweat. You’ll get double the rewards – burning calories and the satisfaction of a clean spree. Even if you’re lost in a Netflix binge, turn each episode into a workout game. Imagine the amazing results of doing 10 squats every time a surgery was performed in “Grey’s Anatomy”!
Take the Stairs
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a great way to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing. Although it may seem like a small, quick activity without any huge results, those steps really do add up. Especially if you do it every day.
By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll be on your way towards being an overall healthier person. Don’t forget to fuel yourself with healthy meals like snacks as well! That way you’ll stay full and focused as you tackle the busy week ahead of you.
