Get Sneaky: Fun Ways to Sneak in Daily Exercise
May 29, 2012
As a busy mom, we all know it can be difficult to get to the gym on a regular basis. It may even be hard to escape to the garage gym you created for yourself. But it isn’t difficult to sneak in daily exercise when you’re running errands and going about your daily chores. Here are eight simple (and fun) ways to sneak in exercise that you an start incorporating into your schedule today.
- You’ve probably read it or heard it somewhere, but do you follow the advice? Park your car as far as you can from work or stores and walk briskly the rest of the way. This can add up to an extra 15 minutes or more a day of walking. For an even greater burn, do bicep curls with your bags on the way back to the car.
- Watch TV at night? At each commercial, either stand up and do jumping jacks or get down and do crunches or push ups for the full time the commercials are on. Keeps you from hitting up the fridge too.
- Cooking? Try doing squats while you watch that pasta boil or have a few minutes left of oven time. I’ve been caught doing rear leg lifts while washing dishes.
- Walk the dog twice a day. It’s too easy to let them out into the fenced yard. But grabbing the leash morning and night is great for both of you.
- Yoga and stretching can be done anywhere without any equipment – and staying flexible is so important as we age. Do some deep stretching while watching the kids at the park ,while you are getting dressed, or even while brushing your teeth.
- Got a lake or ocean in sight? Get to the beach for some barefoot walking in the sand, which really tones up the butt and legs. The other plus is once you walk a mile down the shore, there is only 1 way back – another mile. Plus the fresh air is amazingly invigorating and restoring.
- Always skip the elevators and escalators. Period. Walk up and make sure to walk down.
- Work on a computer most of the day? At least 15 minutes an hour, work from a standing position. You can even do leg lifts, squats and plies while reading articles or browsing .
Exercise doesn’t always have to be all strain and challenges. You can sneak in fitness fun throughout the day, any day.