If you are living a busy life and trying to balance your work, personal life, family responsibilities or study, it can be difficult to find the time for exercise in your routine.
Even a small amount of exercise can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health and it is important to try to make time for it. Spunout.ie is offering advice on how you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine without it having to eat into your free time.
Prioritise walking or cycling
Although you may not be able to do so in the morning, try at least once a day to walk some of your commute home, even if you cannot walk the whole way. By combining walking with public transport you can bring exercise into your routine without it having to take up too much of your free time. Similarly, if you are going to take public transport in your spare time, see if you would be able to walk some or all of your trip instead. Walking can be an enjoyable way to relax and get your body moving at the same time.
Exercise at lunch time
Exercising at lunch time may be unrealistic for some people, but if you get an hour for lunch you probably have time to be able to fit in some exercise while still having time to eat. Eating should be your priority at lunch, but you may be able to split your hour into two and use the first half to take a walk, jog, do some stretching or other exercise that is accessible to you. If you spend most of your time during the day sitting at a desk, it is important to regularly get up and move your body. Exercise does not always have to be for long periods of time, what is important is that you are moving your muscles and body, and increasing your heart rate.
Put exercise into your daily activities
There are plenty of ways that you can bring more exercise into your daily activities. Using the stairs can be an easy way of fitting in exercise even if it means getting off a lift a few floors sooner than where you want to go to, or using a bathroom at the far end of the building. Walking your dog for longer distances or parking your car further away from the place you are going can help to increase the amount of time you are active.
Practise yoga at home
Finding an exercise that you enjoy doing and helps you relax will make it easier for you to make time for it during your day. Yoga is a great example of an exercise that you can do at home, with limited equipment, that can help you wind down. You can find a great selection of yoga instructors and videos on YouTube that can lead you through a yoga routine regardless of your level or ability.
Dancing
Dancing is a fun and easy way to exercise that we often do without intending to exercise in the first place. If you are out over the weekend and have the opportunity to dance, it is a great way to move your body and increase your heart rate while having fun. You can also put on the radio or music and dance at home by yourself, with your housemates, partner, or family.
Exercise in the morning
If you have a busy daily routine, a handy way to fit exercise in is to do it in the morning. Getting up half an hour earlier than you normally do can give you time to go for a quick walk, jog or exercise at home or in the back garden. By exercising during a time when you would normally sleep, you can get active without feeling it is taking time away from things that are important to you during the day.
