Luckily, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to get an appropriate amount of exercise. There are so many ways you can add fitness into your day.



Staying Fit at Work

Many employers these days have health and fitness programs in place, so if you're lucky enough to have a fitness-oriented employer, make sure you take advantage of these benefits. And if your employer isn't focused on health and fitness? There are still a lot of ways you can add fitness to your workday.

Here are some examples of what you can do to schedule in fitness into your work day. Whenever you have the choice between the stairs or the elevator, opt to give yourself a workout by taking the stairs. Walk everywhere. Don't hand your project envelope to the mail personnel. Hand deliver it to your coworker on the next floor yourself.

Need more ideas? How about doing Pilates movements at your desk? If there's room, try to take a few minutes every hour to stretch. If you have a door to your office, close it and practice some yoga poses. Keep your eyes open, and you'll see opportunities for exercising everywhere.

Keeping Fit at Home

While it might seem easier to keep fitness in mind while you're at home, in reality you have just as many responsibilities as you do at work. In addition to household chores, there are also all the parenting duties if you have kids.

Try involving the kids in your fitness activities. Children don't see exercise as being work. For them it's fun! So indulge in family time, and give yourself a good workout. Playing tag, jumping on the trampoline or going for a work - these are all just a few ways to enjoy your time with the kids and stay fit at the same time.

Other ideas for home fitness include turning housework into aerobic exercise. Get that vacuum cleaner going and use your arm, back, and core muscles to propel it back and forth. Load the dishwasher and maintain proper posture as you bend and straighten, keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Sweep the driveway as fast as you can for a quick aerobic blast!

Out and About

Incorporating fitness moves into your errands may seem strange but once you get used to the idea, you'll wonder why you never thought of using the checkout line at the grocery store as a workout zone! When you're standing in any kind of line, contract your buttocks for a count of 15 and then release. This helps strengthen the muscle and can also keep you from losing your cool when the customer in front of you needs three price checks.

Find yourself waiting in line? Try standing on your tiptoes for a count of 10, to strengthen your calf muscles. Or if you find yourself sitting in traffic, you can do arm exercises and simple stretches while you're waiting. Other motorists might think you look strange, but you're getting fit, instead of sitting there getting steamed over being stuck in traffic!

Random Fitness Opportunities

If you're having one of those lazy days or are just simply bored, use your time to visit a local park and do some speed-walking. If the weather is uncooperative, go to your local mall and walk briskly around all levels at least twice. Some malls offer reward programs that allow you to earn points for walking at the mall, which can then be redeemed for gift certificates or coupons. That's not too bad for a random decision to go walking at the mall!

There are literally hundreds of options for random fitness jaunts, so take the time to look around your area and figure out where you want to go for your next spur of the moment fitness trip!