We all have had days when we find ourselves so incredibly busy that we can hardly make time to eat full meals let alone exercise or pay attention to our health. However, such an attitude or lifestyle should not be encouraged because staying active and exercising at least 3 days a week is mandatory if you want to live a healthy life.
Many ways can ensure you can sneak in a workout without really having to alter your routine; you can just easily work around your existing schedule and become healthier.
Below we have suggested a few life hacks and tricks that if you follow, we promise you will begin to feel healthier in no time!
Wake up early
Believe it or not but waking up early by just 30 minutes can help you improve your fitness regime. Technically just 30 minutes should be enough for you to complete an entire workout that would be enough for one entire day. 30 minutes can give you enough margin to do:
- Warm-up exercises such as high knees, pushups, jumping jacks for 5 minutes; these exercises will get your heart pumping and allow your body to get into the cardio mode. To continue your heart rate up you can
- Jump rope for about 10 minutes and feel the sweat drip from your forehead
- To continue exercises you can opt for some light weight lifting while doing muscle training exercises such as lunges, squats, pushups, deadlifts etc. for another 10 minutes. (These 10 minutes should be enough to do 3 sets of 20 dedicated to each exercise)
- And the last 5 minutes should be enough for you to do some cool-down exercises such as yoga and breathing exercises to relax your muscles.
In the beginning, it might seem difficult to manage this entire regime, but trust us if you keep at it with dedication, soon you will get a hang of it!
Walk to the office
If your office is not too far away then you can always try and walk instead of driving or using other modes of public transportation. Sometimes in case, you’re being late and you think driving might be faster than you can always make up for it by walking back home. If your workplace is just 15 minutes away then walking to the office and then walking back home will accumulate to 30 minutes of exercise; that should be a healthier option already!
Go out for lunch during break time
Try not to stay in the office for lunch, and maybe choose a café nearby that is at least 15 minutes away so you can easily walk to it. And if you happen to be carrying your lunch with you from home; then you can always walk to the nearest park or public place where you can enjoy your midday meal.
It is also recommended to divide your lunchtime wisely so you can sneak in 10 minutes of an easy workout such as a light jog or skipping rope before you relax and eat your food in the remaining 20 minutes.
Don’t sit at your desk for more than 30 minutes
We understand that sometimes our work is so demanding that we tend to stay glued to our desks for long periods. This is not healthy for various reasons because not only does it negatively affect your back, your posture but also your eyesight and cause you to gain weight.
To tackle this problem efficiently you can always set an alarm after every 30 minutes that should remind you to get up and do a light walk around your office. Trust us this small walk will clear your mind, improve blood circulation and make you feel fresh and alert so you can do your office work more efficiently.
Search for exercises you can do while sitting
The internet is full of recommendations that will allow you to do exercises while you’re sitting at your desk! These exercises include doing leg stretches, upper body stretches and maybe even a few weight lifting exercises you can do with portable dumbbells!
Invest in portable dumbbells and keep them at your desk. We promise they will not cost too much or take up too much space, but they will allow you to sneak in a few exercises every time you get a few minutes free to yourself!
Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator
Every well-established building will give you the option of either taking the stairs or using an elevator/escalator; we suggest that you always opt for the former. Taking the stairs every time, you need to get to a floor will be just like working out because you will:
- Get your heart rate up
- Get a leg muscle workout done
- Improve your stamina
- Improve blood circulation
- Give your mind some rest
- Help you to feel refreshed and active
- Lose weight
Climbing stairs is very effective but it can also affect the knees so try to be careful, but do build a habit of taking the stairs whenever and wherever you can!
Try to walk or ride a cycle for everyday chores
Going to do some groceries? Or going shopping? Then change into your workout shorts and workout tank tops because even a small trip to your favorite restaurant can become an opportunity to work out and exercise by simply opting to walk or riding a cycle if the destination is too far away. Try to stay away from vehicles as much as you can because the same time spent driving or using public transport can be spent burning off calories and staying fit.
Walking or riding a cycle will help you do
- A light cardio
- Lose weight
- Stretch your leg muscles
- Improve your blood circulation and
- Improve your stamina
- Clear your mind
- Lower blood sugar
- Lower blood pressure
Not to forget carrying home your groceries, shopping and even taking away food back home while helping you lose more calories!
Buy essential gym equipment you can use at home
Essential and basic gym equipment can include dumbbells, kettlebells, a yoga mat, a treadmill, or a stationary cycle. The luxury of having such equipment at home can allow you to sneak in a quick workout whenever you can find time in a day. This way you won’t need to make special time to visit the gym or spend too much money on memberships. This will be a lifetime investment that you can take advantage of any time you want!
Purchase and carry a resistance band
A small and lightweight gym tool such as a resistance band can help you in doing so many different kinds of exercises, anytime and anywhere. Keep a resistance band in your office, bag, or laptop bag and you can take it out whenever you need it. Leg exercises and upper body exercises can be easily done with a resistance band even if you’re sitting at your desk without any problem at all!
Learn a few HIIT exercises
High-Intensity Interval Training exercises were designed specifically for those people who don’t have a lot of time on their hands and are in constant search of quick and effective exercises.
20 minutes of HIIT exercises will help you do cardio and make you sweat profusely if done right and with commitment!
