Get Moving!
It’s a great mindshift when you think of exercise as something that you can do anywhere instead of doing a formal workout with workout clothes at the gym. This is easier than you may think. Have you heard of the hacks like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking your car far away from where you are going? Here are some other suggestions. See if you can incorporate any of them into your life to increase your activity.
Have walking meetings - It’s productive multi-tasking. Many women have been doing this for years with their friends in their free time but you can start walking and talking at work too.
Plant and tend a garden - No matter the size and the nature of your garden, you will get a workout by bending to deadhead or hauling the hose to give your beautiful vegetables and flowers some water. Picking up bags of mulch and spreading it around is a great way to get a weight bearing workout with some stretching and does not require you keep your own set of weights. And you get the side benefit of being outside so you can enjoy the beauty of nature and get some daylight and sunlight to keep our body clock synced up.
Wash your car at home - Similarly, you can get a workout when you wash your car. You will be pulling the hose out to the car, you can tone your arms by scrubbing and polishing, and you can stretch and work some areas you may not have exercised in a long time by cleaning your tires and rims.
Do squats while you brush your teeth - Do squats while you brush your teeth. Add in little exercises while you are doing ordinary daily activities. It’s a positive way to muti-task.
Do calf raises while you talk on the phone - I recently heard someone recommend that you walk while you are on the phone. Either way, whether you are doing calf raises or walking, you might feel better about spending a lot of time on the phone if you can improve your health at the same time.
Do planks to a favorite song - Holding a plank is more fun with music! Just put on your favorite upbeat tune and plank to the music. That’s how I did 100 planks in 100 days. It’s entertaining and you can sing along. The music helps distract you from the burn, and helps put a smile on your face.
You can reinforce your increased movement by using affirmations. You can say:
I love to exercise.
I love to move my mody.
I feel better after I stretch/ workout/ get outside.
I like how it feels to grow stronger every day.
Think about it. There are three things that are important to do every day - Eat, sleep, and move. Eating and sleeping are part of our daily routine. But movement is not always part of your everyday life, especially when you feel like there isn’t enough time in the day or when you prioritize your family or work responsibilities over yourself and your health. Try doing little things throughout the day to see if little bouts of exercise add up to increased fitness.
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