While working out may sometimes feel like a chore, often it’s just about making it work best for you. It is easy to make excuses, especially when we are tired, work, and life gets busy. Even when it seems like you have no time, here are a few tips to help you easily add more movement to your day.
Take it back to the basics
Walking may seem simple, but it has many benefits for our minds and bodies. Try walking your kids to school in the morning or heading out on a brisk walk during your lunch break. Maybe this means walking with a co-worker to go pick up some food or calling a friend or family member you’ve been meaning to catch up with as you walk around a block (or several). A few other walking-oriented options are to walk your dog (if you have one), walk to your closest grocery store if you have a light shopping list that day, or go on a post-work walk to decompress and reset for your evening.
Embrace your commute
Try adding movement to your morning commute to kickstart the day and feel amazing. If possible, you can try walking or cycling to work. If you take transit or drive, you may be able to park your car a little further away or even get off transit a stop earlier. It may seem like a small change, but adding a five to ten-minute walk to your commute can add up and have a big impact!
Try something new (and quick!)
If you have a few minutes after work or even on a break, fit52 offers short workouts to help you work up a quick sweat! The 15-minute Flash Fit workouts in the fit52 app are easy to add to your day and are perfect for feeling the burn quickly! ! If you are looking for something even shorter, try fit52’s Daily 5 —either Move or Stretch—anytime. The Daily 5 Seated is perfect for an in-office stretch after a long meeting or even between your favorite TV series episodes, and it only takes five minutes!
Add gentle movement into your day
Another option to incorporate some movement is to take any meetings you can by standing or walking. If you have a standing desk, you are already ahead of the curve, but by taking it a step further and walking, you burn more calories 1. Either way, both standing and walking are dynamic movements that can help your body exert more energy than you would by sitting all day.
Once you’re home and ready to unwind for the evening, you can add some gentle movement to your night routine. While watching your favorite show, try doing a few planks, squats, or stretches. This can help build muscle strength, or work on your flexibility, without a time commitment.
Make your fitness routine work for you
Incorporating movement into your day can be difficult, and fit52 is here to remind you that not every form of exercise needs to be a full-on sweat sesh. Don’t be afraid to personalize your fitness routine and make it work for you and your lifestyle. Your wellness journey is about consistency over quantity, and getting in movement every day is more important than working out for long periods of time. If you try out one of these tips, share it with us on social media with the #fit52blog to let us know what works best for you.