Exercise and Physical Activity

February 3rd, 2012

With all the financial troubles, people working longer hours, and being overwhelmed with social networking, it’s tough to get in exercise. I think one of the big misconceptions is that good quality exercise can only be done in a gym. A better alternative is to incorporate exercise into your life. For example, take the subway to a stop that is one station away from your destination and walk the rest of the way. If you live in an elevator apartment, you could get off one floor below your floor and walk one flight up. You may feel out of breath the first few days as a result of being out of shape, but don’t be discouraged. The more exercise you do, the easier it gets. The following week, you can get off two floors below and walk two flights up. Before you know it, you will be burning many calories each day. Going downstairs is not as effective an exercise, because gravity does most of the work, but every bit counts.

Limit your time on the internet and watching TV. There are some programs that will shut down or lock your computer after a set time. You could also incorporate your TV watching with a gym regimen. For example, you could go to the gym and use the treadmill when the nightly news is on. The advantage is that you will be forced to do the exercise for the entire time.

While watching TV at home, try to use the commercial time in between to get in some workouts. Every woman I know has a few extra purses in their closet. Men can buy a small duffel bag or use one of those reuseable grocery bags. Place some cans of food (like soup cans) into the bag. Hold the bag in your hand and flex your arm, pulling the bag up. You can keep the bag next to your couch and use it during the commercials . You would be surprised at how much of a work out your arms get, and also how many commercials there are on TV!

Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Cleaning the house is a chore, but is also great fat burning time. Put on some fun music and go at it! If you get rid of the housekeeper or maid, you save money!

When you travel, bring along resistance bands. They fit easily in any suitcase, and can be pretty good substitutes for weights.  Here are some other tips on how to get exercise while traveling.  Lunch break is a great time to get out and walk. Most people get one hour, but few people I know eat for the entire hour. Try brisk walking for half an hour then eat lunch afterward.