With our personal lives moving by so quickly and work lives speeding by even faster, finding the energy and time to work out for a healthier lifestyle becomes a stressor and an impossibility. So what do you do when there is no time at home to really get into a good exercise program? With the help and support of the more innovative employers in today’s workplace, more and more people are finding ways to incorporate exercise into their daily work schedules.
If you are lucky enough to work in an office atmosphere, where lunch breaks are the norm, it is easy to set aside twenty minutes to exercise lightly during the day. For shorter lunch breaks, shorter walks are appropriate-any form of exercise which can build into your day is better than nothing.
Always carry the appropriate shoes, and, if possible, include a co-walker for a fifteen-twenty minute jaunt. For larger offices, group walks at lunch time can become a time to socialize and bond with others. (Try not to discuss work issues during this walking period-it defeats the purpose of enjoying the exercise.) If you find that you are the type of person that must worry about perspiration and worry that such an inclusion in your day would make this an ill-advised lunch past time, have a t-shirt or sweat shirt with you each day, as well as a washcloth and deodorant for a quick cleanup after the exercise.
To add to this valuable exercise time, make sure to bring healthy lunch items that can be quickly consumed during the balance of your time or that can be munched at your desk during the afternoon.
But what about the times when the days are too cold or hot to go out into the world on a pleasurable (but brisk) stroll. For colder winter climates or hot summer days, it might be necessary to find a small area to conduct a walking-in-place program. This area should be away from incoming visitors or other office personal who will be distracted by the fun you are having. Adding music to the regiment is also a positive way to make this a fun activity. In warmer climates, walking around outside your place of employment might be an attractive way to break up your day.
There are definite positive results beyond exercise and calorie reduction to adding this short regiment. Because our workplaces have become more stressful and demanding, this walking break increases our abilities to cope with the fast pace environments where we are forced to excel on a daily basis. All in all, any exercise time that you can squeeze into your day will allow you more time – and less guilt – in the evening when you go home to busy and demanding lives.