Ways to sneak in more exerciseWays to sneak in more exercise

Viewpoints

May 23, 2010

Jack Rutherford Special to the Register The Richmond Register Sun May 23, 2010, 01:00 AM EDT

RICHMOND — Finding time to exercise is not always easy, but there are some ways to sneak more exercise into our lives. Some require a change in attitude while othersinvolve tweaking your daily schedule.

1. Change your exercise mentality. Most of us think of an exercise program as another item added to our daily to-do list. But, your body doesn’t know whether you’re at the gym or in the office, just that it’s working harder than normal. That’s why you can get a few minutes here and a few minutes there during the workday without ever leaving the office.Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Every hour get up and walk around the office, dropping in to see colleagues rather than e-mailing or texting them. Walk your report over to the boss’s office. Instead of hanging out at the water cooler or coffee shop, take a stroll around the building and get some fresh air (and exercise). It all counts. Not only will you burn calories and get in better shape, your collegiality quotient among office staff will rise.

2. Plant exercise cues. We are nothing if not a creature of habit. That’s why we should condition our behaviors by reminding (cueing) ourselves to do things that are good for us. For example, before your leave for work in the morning, lay out your exercise clothes to remind you to work out after work. Also, before leaving work, write a note to yourself as to what kind of workout you will do tomorrow. That way, when you arrive at the office, you’ll get a friendly reminder. Alternately, you can write down your workout time in your day planner, just as you would any meeting.

3. Walk your dog. Your dog needs exercise too. If you can’t get up the motivation to work out for yourself, at least do it for him (or her).

4. Walk while you talk. Michael Douglas’ character in “Wall Street” had a treadmill in his office on which he walked while he brokered multi-million dollar deals over the phone. While you may not be that extravagant, you can still talk while you walk outside on the street or at the gym, saving time and money.

5. Give yourself a package of 10:

a. 10 push-ups and squats when you wake up in the morning

b. 10 deep breaths when you’re stressed

c. 10 lunges during commercials

d. 10 heel lifts during time spent in the check-out line

e. 10 ab crunches while driving

Doing just a few of these will sneak more exercise into your daily schedule. Remember, for good health, you should strive for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise most days of the week. If weight maintenance is an issue, 90 minutes is your goal.

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