Exercising should be part of your daily routine, like eating and sleeping. But with your busy schedule, it can be hard to remember that. Want some easy ways to work exercise into your daily routine? Here are ten simple tips for workout breaks, and ideas for doing effective workouts in less time. Most can be done at the office, at home, or in the car.
1. Tighten your abdominal muscles for 30 seconds and then release. Now repeat with your gluteal muscles. Do this several times.
2. While sitting at your desk, straighten your knees and lift your legs out in front of you. Hold it for 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
3. Pace back and forth in your office as you read reports and memos.
4. Keep weights under your desk. Do 10 minutes of strength training, like shoulder presses, side lifts, lunges, bicep curls, triceps extensions, and squats.
5. Jump rope slowly for 1 to 2 minutes, then jump fast for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until you’ve jumped 10 minutes.
6. Do walking lunges around the house or your office. Now add some weights and do bicep curls at the same time.
7. Walking just 10 minutes can boost your energy and reduce stress for an hour or more. Park your car farther out, and walk to deliver a message. Running errands? Park 5 minutes from your destination. Walk there and back briskly. Invite a co-worker to join you in a brisk walk-and-talk meeting.
8. Walk up and down stairs as fast as you can. Repeat as many times as you can in 10 minutes.
9. Set your chair aside for a few minutes and instead move to a semi-squat position with thighs parallel to the floor. Hold for 1 minute.
10. Alternate jumping jacks and jogging in place. Do a minute of each and repeat 5 times.
You’ll be surprised how many times in a day you can spare 10 minutes. Do 3 or more of these mini-workouts throughout the day when you can’t get to the gym.