You wake up in the morning and read the paper or browse your Facebook feed, eat breakfast, head to work and come home to sometimes do more work. Or maybe you come home in time to eat dinner and you only have enough time to watch your favorite show followed by getting ready for bed. It is fair to say that we are all busy and it can be difficult to balance our lives enough to include our loved ones, work and play — let alone trying to maintain good health overall.
As a trainer, I commonly hear that people just don’t have the time to work out. However, if having better health crosses your mind, then it is probably something you need to address.
First and foremost, if you have time to stop by the bar or time to participate in any social activities, you have the time to walk a mile or to at least do 15 minutes of strength training. Add some physical activities into your “getting ready” routine. It all comes down to using your time more effectively. Many of us spend minutes doing mindless activities. According to the New York Times, most Americans spend an average of 50 minutes a day on social media. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Americans watched an average of three hours of TV per day and spent about 30 minutes on weekdays socializing, and 60 minutes on weekends. Imagine incorporating at least 30 of those minutes for your health.
If you have a hefty work schedule, try taking your calls while you are on a walk or stand at your desk. Take a deeper look into how you are using your lunch break. Do you have time to be active during your lunch? Can you use your longer break to be active and your shorter breaks to eat, or vice versa? Can you stretch during your shorter breaks? For those of you who travel regularly, team up with a trainer to write a program that you can do on the road or find the nearest workout facility, even if it’s your bedroom.
Short increments of physical activity throughout the day can curb your sleepiness, increase awareness and will increase your energy levels. Long term, you may notice that your mood will be better, as well as your physical health.
Now that you’ve made time at least twice per week to include physical activity and exercise in your day, what workouts or activities should you do? Aside from the suggestions listed above, keep it simple. You can do squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, etc. Make a social activity out of hiking, swimming, sports and so on. Don’t let your “lack of time” be an excuse to not include some physical activity in your life. Get moving, reap the benefits of being active and soak up the remainder of these beautiful summer sunrays!