Many of you may have made New Year’s resolutions and some of those might include fitting some exercise in your day. Some of us feel we do not have time to exercise. Here are some ideas to help you fit in a mini workout throughout the day if you don’t have time to hit the gym.
30 easy ways to fit in 10 minutes of exercise:
Around the House
1. Morning newspaper – 5 minute power walk up the street in one direction and back in the other.
2. If you’re housebound – hop on a treadmill or exercise bike.
3. Try 5 – 10 minutes of jumping jacks (in 10 minutes a 150 lb woman can burn 90 calories).
4. In the kitchen cooking – while waiting for a boiling pot of water, do wall push ups, wall sits, or calf raises.
5. After dinner, go outside for a walk, or play tag or shoot baskets with your kids.
6. Just before bed or before you shower in the morning, do a few repetitions of dumbbell exercises.
While Waiting
7. While you wait for your child to take some kind of lesson or class, walk around the block several times. You could add a 1 – minute burst of jog to the walk as your fitness level improves.
8. Long wait at the Dr. office – Ask the receptionist how long of a wait, most are willing to tell you, and walk around the medical building.
9. If you’re at a soccer or softball game, walk around the field.
10. Throw a ball back and forth, or run for fly balls at the park with your child.
At Work
11. Ride your bike or walk to work if you can.
12. Walk to a restaurant, on your lunch, on a route that takes you a little bit out of your way.
13. If you have a meeting in another building, leave 5 or 10 minutes early and walk or after the meeting do extra walking.
14. Try 5 to 10 minutes climbing stairs on breaks.
15. While waiting for an elevator or watching your food microwave, try strengthening your core with ab exercises. Stand feet parallel and knees relaxed, contract the muscles around your belly button, then elevate your upper torso and release, finally contract your buttocks for a few seconds.
When You’re Watching TV
16. Put the remote by the TV and get up to change channels.
17. Dance like you are 16 again.
18. Jog in place or do jumping jacks during commercials.
19. Do leg exercises and lifts with small weights while you watch TV.
While Traveling
20. Pack your sneakers and use the gym facilities or apps on your phone for exercising.
21. Stop twice a day for short brisk walks and stretching while traveling by car.
22. During layovers at the airport, climb the stairs and walk around as much as you can.
23. Book a hotel room on the higher floors and take the stairs, try two stairs at a time.
24. Do calf stretches if you’re riding the elevators.
While Sitting down at Work or Home
25. Calf muscle toning – remain seated and raise your legs up on the very tips of your toes. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 8 times.
26. Ankle Rotations – rotate your ankles in both directions for 5 seconds. Do 5 sets of 8 reps in each direction.
27. Arm Stretches – use the right arm by reaching as far to the left as you can while supporting it in the crook of your left elbow, hold the stretch for 5 seconds. Repeat 8 times then switch to the left arm.
28. Rotating at the waist – rotate as far to the left as you can and hold for 5 seconds, then repeat on the right. Repeat 5 sets. Us the backrest of your chair for extra support.
29. Crunches – move to the edge of your seat and lean back on the backrest, then lift your straightened legs a few inches above the ground and raise your back a few inches of the backrest, keeping your navel pulled towards your spine. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times.
30. Leg lifts – starting with both feet flat on the floor, do leg lifts, starting first with the right leg and then the left. Lift each leg until it touches the underside of your desk. Do 10 sets of 8 reps.
Source: prevention.com and Your modern family
About Shima: Shima graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BS in Microbiology in 1997 and worked at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with the Infectious Disease Department on clinical trials for over 4 years. She then pursued a career change and graduated with her Doctorate degree from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 2007. During her years enrolled in pharmacy school she worked part-time at St. Louis University, where she helped design a laboratory protocol for the BCG Vaccine Study, which received full funding in 2011.
Shima joined Sinks and Medley Pharmacy in September of 2014 as a pharmacist. She continually strives to focus on improving outcomes and raising the quality of life for patients with all types of medical ailments and conditions.
