How many times have you been surfing the channels on the television when you come across an exercise show or an infomercial showing fit models, demonstrating how easy a new machine is to operate? If you are like most Americans you stop, watch the models complete exercise routines with ease and think, “I really need to exercise more.” The struggle to exercise doesn’t have to be a continuous battle.
If you stop to think about your day, as it exists right now you probably have some form of exercise already built in. There are things that you can do to modify your daily activities so that exercise is incorporated into your everyday life. Remember, the goal is to increase your heart rate just a bit in order for something to be considered a cardiovascular rise.
1) When parking your car, don’t search for the perfect parking space closest to your destination. Search for the perfect space further away from your destination.
2) After parking, don’t stroll to the store or office, briskly walk. You will get there faster and get your heart rate going too.
3) On the way back to your car, do the same thing.
4) When possible take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Again, don’t just walk up the stairs. Put a little spring into your step and quicken your pace as much as you can without endangering your safety.
5) The stairs may be a bit further from your final destination, but again, walk quickly once you reach the floor.
6) You will get where you are going faster and increase your heart rate as well.
Here is another note about stairs. Don’t become discouraged if you can’t climb all the way to the thirteenth floor. Climb as many flights as you can and then use the elevator. No matter of the time it takes, the same goal is still being accomplished, the goal of increasing your heart rate.
If cleaning the house is on your agenda for the day then put a little more life into it. See how quickly you can finish your chores. The faster you move, the faster your heart rate will rise.
Moving faster isn’t the only thing you can do – you can also accentuate your movements.
For example, when bending to reach the laundry in the dryer, bend deeply as if you are doing deep knee bends. When vacuuming, use your own muscles as resistance. Push and pull the vacuum with tightened muscles. Believe it or not, this works them out!
In addition to altering your daily routine, you can also purchase some wrist and ankle weights. These can be bought at your local sporting goods store in packages of two. They come in different weight increments ranging from 1.5 pounds each to about 5 pounds each. Wrist and ankle weights range in price from approximately $6.00 to $11.00 depending on the amount of weight.
Wrist and ankle weights are easy to use. Simply wrap them around your wrist or ankle and Velcro them shut. Pants can easily hide them so you can wear them daily.
Many people still believe that joining a gym or other structured exercise facility is the only way to bring exercise into their lives. There are many things that can be done on your own to make sure to stick with your exercise routine. One way is to recruit people to work out with. Find some friends to walk with in the morning, during the lunch hour, right after work, or when you get home in the evenings. Building an exercise routine with others will help motivate you to continue what you have started.
Kids are also great people to build an exercise routine with. Play tag outside or bring them to the park and climb on the equipment with them instead of sitting by and watching all the fun. If your children are older go out and shoot some baskets, play some tennis; throw the baseball or the Frisbee. Not only are you exercising but you are spending some quality time with your children.
You don’t need to run or walk, swim or visit your local gym everyday for hours to form an exercise routine. What you do need is to make a conscious effort everyday to do something that gets your heart rate up above normal.