Fitting exercise into a busy schedule
Fitness experts agree that exercising for 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week can dramatically improve a person's physical health, mental state and overall sense of well-being. But for many, it can be challenging to find the time to work out. Between work and family, finding time to go to the gym can be tough. This does not mean that you can't get in a good workout. You just have to be creative when coming up with exercises.
Your goal should be to move more and to incorporate these movements into an intense exercise. Be proud of the workouts you do. Any movement is good for your health. So make fitness a priority. Don't think of exercise as a chore. Consider it something that improves the quality of your life. Here are some strategies to help you work exercise into a busy schedule.
Set your alarm clock early
Set your alarm clock. If you get up early enough, you can get a workout in before going to work and doing other things. Your exercise will be off the to-do list for the day.
Work out at work
You can get a daily dose of exercise even when you are working all day. Try this core strength exercise: sit on a stability ball. Keep dumbbells at your desk and do 12 or 15 repetitions of an exercise such as biceps curls or ab crunches. Do two or three sets of each exercise. This will give you more free time to fit in biking, tennis, or other fun exercise after work.
No more couch potato
You can exercise while you are watching TV. Do exercises like push-ups, crunches, jumping jacks and squats. Make space between the couch and TV so that you do not miss anything while exercising. Move your exercise equipment near the TV to remind you to work out.
HIIT (High intensity interval training)
Whatever your fitness goals, high intensity interval training is going to provide the best results for the time spent. Choose an activity and go all out for 10-20 seconds, then follow it with a 40-50 second recovery time. Complete 10-15 rounds, with 5-10 minute warm-up and cool-down periods, and you have a workout that sheds a ton of calories and keeps your metabolism up for several hours afterward. You can burn lots of calories in a short time with this method.
Make it a date
Go on a fitness date. Set up a workout date to keep yourself fit. Take a friend or significant other with you. Do this instead of going to happy hour.
Weekend warrior
Use the weekend to make up for lost time. We often have a little more time and energy on the weekends. Get a good hour training session. You can workout with weights, do aerobic exercises or a combination of these. Getting an intense workout on the weekend will reduce stress.
Try one or more of these tips and you'll find that it's not that hard to include exercise in your schedule. For more tips and exercise ideas, visit http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts.