10 Ways to Workout When You Have Absolutely No Time
Updated: Oct. 04, 2018
Not having enough time to exercise is a common complaint these days. Yet, finding the time to get active is essential to your health, happiness, and quality of life. With that in mind, here’s a list of ways you can sneak physical activity into your day without spending hours at the gym.
1. Walk or wheel around
Turn your commute into a workout! Walking and biking aren’t just convenient and eco-friendly ways to get to work, school or the shops—they’re also great exercise.
Find out the 12 Things Successful People Do on their Commute!
2. Try skipping
In as little as two minutes, skipping will get your heart racing. A jump rope is also small and light enough to toss into any bag, so you can take it wherever you go.
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3. Stand more
Whether you’re in the office or on the couch, it’s a good idea to break up long periods of sitting by standing up and going for brief walks. Reducing excessive sitting is just as important as getting exercise.
4. Take the stairs
Need to get from reception to the fifth floor? Consider taking the stairs on the way up, and back down again. Make this a personal rule.
5. Plan a walking meeting
Got a one-on-one meeting scheduled with a colleague? Why not take the opportunity to walk and talk? As a bonus, walking side-by-side may actually be more conducive to constructive dialogue, rather than sitting across from one another like adversaries.
6. Stand or pace while chatting on the phone
No need to sit in one place while you’re on the phone or participating in a teleconference. Try standing or pacing in your office while you chat.
7. Dance while preparing dinner
Turn on some tunes and cut a rug while you wait for the ding of the dinner bell. Want to move more? Keep the party going while clearing the dinner table and washing the dishes by hand.
8. Get off the bus or subway a stop or two sooner
Hop off the bus or subway early to sneak in those extra steps. Every little bit counts!
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9. Park further away
No need to take advantage of all modern conveniences. Next time you visit the mall, dentist, or movie theatre, try parking in the furthest spot for an extended stroll.
10. Try a HIIT workout
Short for “high intensity interval training,” HIIT is a strategy that involves alternating short periods of intense exercise with shorter and less intense recovery periods. This might take the form of 30 to 40 seconds of burpees followed by 15 to 20 seconds of walking in place. Squeezing in a quick 7- to 12-minute HITT workout will greatly benefit your mind and body, and you’ll be done before you know it.
