So you need to exercise, but you are too busy to make the time needed? Well, as we spend more and more time in the office, we tend to sacrifice our workout hours. When before, we could visit the gym three times a week for two hours each time, our gym time is now whittled to two hours on a Friday.
There are ways to get around this, though. You can still give your heart rate its daily workout and stretch those stiff muscles with light but effective cardio workouts which can be done even when not in a gym:
Before leaving for the office, perform an imaginary jump-rope sequence right in your bedroom. Turn on your radio and jump up and down while twirling your wrists as if holding on to a real jump rope. Fifteen minutes of this will help you work up a sweat.
This has been suggested time and again, but very few people actually do it: Walk to work, if possible. If your office is only about a mile away, save on parking fees and walk to work, especially if the weather is pleasant. Leave your high-heeled pumps at the office so you can walk in comfy loafers to and from work. In the same vein, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even if you walk up without running, you'll still give your heart a good workout.
If it's possible, or if you have your own office, take a mini-trampoline with you to work. Spend about 30 minutes on it while concocting your next board presentation.
When you have an office job that requires you to sit in front of a desk for long periods, take so-called "micro-breaks" every half hour to remove the kinks in your neck, shoulders, and lower back. Stand up, reach your toes, stretch your arms, do neck rolls. You can even sit on a clean floor, legs wide apart, and touch your toes for several counts.
Have a brisk stroll to a park with your colleagues instead of having a power lunch.
While watching TV at home, try marching in place. Do this for a duration of one commercial segment to another, or roughly 15-20 minutes. Alternate your marching with skipping to keep from getting bored and ask other family members to join you.
Do what you love. Working out may feel like a drudgery for some, but if you're flexible enough to give yourself some leeway in choosing the type of cardio you enjoy, you won't be in danger of giving up exercising completely.
Ballroom dancing, for instance, can help you keep fit but is also extremely enjoyable. You can also spend a longer time dancing than you would working out. If you feel like you deserve to rest on a Sunday after your 50-hour workweek, you'll be surprised at how relaxing dancing can be. Another example of an enjoyable workout is swimming. The impact is minimal and swimming in a warm pool can be very soothing, yet it still flexes nearly all muscles of your body.
