How Can I Make Exercise Work For Me?

So, you’re ready to start an exercise regimen as part of your new healthy lifestyle, but exactly how are you going to find the time? Fitness experts say that exercising for just 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week can dramatically improve a person’s weight, mental state and overall well-being. 

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. 

John Muir

So if you think you are too busy to include exercise into your regular routine, consider the following options:

Exercise at home: There are many exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home. A few quick sets of sit-ups and push-ups each day can tone your body. Consider purchasing an inexpensive set of dumbbells and learning some simple exercises to build muscle. Exercise videos and other home exercise equipment can help you get an aerobic workout, as can walking, running, jogging or riding a bicycle. Consider taking part in outdoor activities like hiking as a way to replace sedentary indoor activities such as watching television.

Exercise on breaks from work: Try taking a 20-minute walk at a brisk pace over your lunch hour. If you have stairs in your home, consider making a couple of laps up and down them to get your heart rate up. When you drive somewhere, park in a space farthest from the door. At home or at the office, take occasional short breaks to do push-ups and stretching exercises throughout the day.

In my seventies, I exercised to stay ambulatory. In my eighties, I exercise to avoid assisted living.

Dick Van Dyke 

Make fitness a priority: To get the results you want from any fitness program, you need to stick with that program on a regular basis. You should not consider exercise as a chore, but as something that improves your quality of life.

Don’t take on too much: Like overly restrictive diets, overly ambitious workout goals will only end in frustration and failure. Understand that you are busy and start small, adding new exercises as your fitness and motivation improve.

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.

Jim Rohn

Every little thing you do will improve your mental and physical well-being. After a while, your routine will become second-nature and you will love the way you feel.