You’re busy. Between errands, work, and family, some days it can be hard to find time for yourself! What’s the first thing to typically go? Your workout. While we’re all about making yourself a priority, let’s be honest, some days you just cannot set aside the time for a good workout. The good news is, you can still get plenty of movement and calorie burn into your busy day with a few simple tweaks! Check out this list of simple ways to fit small workouts into your day:
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Park far away.
We’ve all heard this one, but it’s really true. Save time and frustration driving around for the best parking spot and pick one at the end of the lot. You’ll notice you get a lot of extra steps in – and burn way more calories than those parked right next to the door!
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Use the drinking fountain and restroom on a different floor – and take the stairs!
If you’re sitting at work all day, it’s easy to start to feel sluggish and your metabolism can start to slow down. The trick? Any time you need to use the restroom, get some water, or print something – head up or down a few floors to do so! That extra walking will wake up your body and burn some extra calories.
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Walk and talk.
Whenever possible, take walking meetings rather than sitting on the phone with someone. Ask your coworker to walk around the building or outside with you for a change of scenery and secret calorie burn. Any time you’re chatting on the phone, get up and walk around. Those steps will accumulate before you know it!
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Wall sits and squats, galore!
If you’re at a desk all day or out and about running errands, take a couple breaks throughout your day to strengthen your legs. To do a wall sit, sit in a squat position against a wall for 30-60 seconds. Or, sit and stand up and down in your chair to squat 10 times and tone your legs!
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Are you in charge of cooking dinner tonight?
While you’re waiting for things to heat up, do a few counter top push-ups to tone your entire upper body! Be sure to check out the link for a video demonstration.
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Use the 10 minute trick.
If you can’t set aside a 30 minute break for a workout, break it into 3 bouts of 10 minutes. Wake up 10 minutes earlier to speed walk 5 minutes away from your house and back. Use your lunch break to climb up and down the stairs or walk outside for 10 minutes. After dinner, take the dog or gather the family to walk outside for 10 minutes. Workout, done!
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Have a ball!
Sitting on a stability ball instead of a desk chair or couch engages your core muscles, giving you a mini ab workout all day long!
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Try commercial break workouts.
Okay, truly if you have time to hang out in front of the tube and catch up on your favorite shows, you probably have time for a workout. But just in case, try a commercial break workout! During each commercial break do this routine: 10 squats, 10 crunches, 10 pushups on your knees, and 10 jumping jacks.
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Log off and relax.
If you have a few minutes before your next meeting, give yourself a relaxing yoga break. There are plenty of free yoga workouts on YouTube that will stretch your muscles and tone your body, making you ready to take on the rest of the day!
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Multitasking at it’s finest
Dry, straighten, or curl your hair while you squat! Sure, you may feel goofy, but busting out several squats while you prep your hair in the morning will lead to a toned tush- and that’s not goofy!
Sneak these 10 small workouts into your next busy day, even if you can fit a “real” workout in! With time, these things will become a habit and you will start to notice some great results because of your effort. How are you going to sneak a workout into your day today?
Manon McGovern, creator of The Traveling Trainer, is a fitness and weight management specialist who loves sharing her passion for a healthy lifestyle. She studied Exercise Science at The Ohio State University and started personal training and teaching group exercise classes to introduce herself into the fitness world. She enjoys personal training and teaching Yoga, Spinning, KickBoxing, and strength classes. Now working... Read More
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