8 Ways to Get Your Work Out On

8 Innovative Ways to Get Your Work Out In
by www.SixWise.com

No one is going to argue with the fact that exercise is good for us. It can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, plus it may:

• Lower blood pressure

• Promote healthy blood sugar levels

• Boost the immune system

• Increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol

• Improve your mood and lower your chances of depression

• Promote healthy bone density

• Help with weight control

• Relieve arthritis pain

New moms can do squats, lunges, push-ups and a number of other creative exercises all while holding their baby.

You would think that this sparkling list of benefits would be enough to sell out every gym membership in the country. Yet, more than half of U.S. adults don't exercise at levels recommended by public health agencies, according to a recent Forbes article, and worse, 24 percent of us aren't active at all!

What is keeping us from lacing up our jogging shoes and really getting our hearts pumping?

Time.

Or more specifically, a lack of it. This is the most common excuse people give to explain why they haven't been exercising, personal trainers say. And a Saint Louis University School of Public Health study found that women are even more likely to say they feel "too overloaded to find time to hit the gym."

The solution, experts say, is to schedule time workout time into your day, as you would any other important appointment. This is, indeed, excellent advice, yet, we understand that there are those days that don't seem to have ANY time leftover for something as self-indulgent as exercise. For those days, we've compiled a list of ideas you can use to get your workout in without having to do much, or any, finagling with your schedule.

Eight Ways to Fit Your Workout Into ANY Schedule

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1. Walk fast. Anytime you need to get from point A to point B, consider it an opportunity to burn some calories and walk at a fast pace. Even better, create more opportunities to get walks in by parking far away from your destinations or walking to get your lunch instead of driving.

2. Stretch for 15 minutes. It takes just 15 stretches to stretch 95 percent of your body, according to stretching expert Jacques Gauthier. His Stretching Toward a Healthier Life DVD shows you all 15 of these most effective stretching exercises, and the full program takes just 15 to 20 minutes a day.

3. Take "exercise breaks." You find time for coffee breaks, right? Instead of standing around filling your mug, put on your walking shoes and climb the stairs in your office building. No stairs? Jog a few laps around the building, do jumping jacks or push-ups in your office or lunges down the hallway.

4. Exercise at your desk. Punch your arms over your head for 30 seconds, then tap your feet on the floor quickly for 30 seconds, and repeat. Or, as long as your desk is sturdy, try desk push-ups by standing, putting your hands on the desk, then walking backward. Now you're ready to start your push-ups!

5. Exercise with your baby. New moms tend to workout 1.3 hours less than they did before the baby, and men's activity levels fall by 4.5 hours, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. You can circumvent this drop in activity by exercising with your baby. Try:

   • Taking walks with your baby in a carrier, or jogging with them in a jogging stroller

   • Bouncing on a balance ball while holding your baby close to you

   • Lifting your baby carefully over your head to strengthen your arm muscles, or doing squats while holding your baby to workout your legs

   • Laying your baby on the floor and doing pushups over him (so your face is directly over his)

If you can get up an hour or even 30 minutes earlier, you'll have time to fit in a jog around your neighborhood.

6. Make it a social event. Instead of getting together with your friends to see a movie, try doing something active like tennis, a bike ride or a game of touch football.

7. Get up earlier. If you can get up 30-45 minutes earlier, you can fit in a quick workout on an elliptical machine, jog around the neighborhood, or pop in an aerobics video.

8. Consider investing in some exercise equipment. With a treadmill, elliptical machine, or weight set right in your own home, it's easier to find 30 minutes or an hour to workout. You can even do it while you watch your favorite program on TV.