Exercise: You DO Have Time!

By: Kerri-Lynn LaPointe ND | July 10, 2008 1:11 pm

With long work days, household tasks, and family responsibilities, many of us cannot find a moment in the day to stop for a few deep breaths, let alone set aside half an hour for a complete workout.  Many of my patients who are not exercising are experiencing an increase in health complaints, worsening of existing symptoms, weight gain, and more stress.

For most people who average 6 hours of sleep a night, waking early to go for a morning jog or hit the gym is not an option.  After work, dinner needs to be prepared, the house tidied, children need help with homework, and that work you brought home from the office needs a looking-over, which doesn’t leave much time to exercise before bed.  When we are busy and stressed, exercise is the first thing to go, but it is at these times that we need to exercise the most.  Here are some good reasons we need to include exercise into our daily routine:

• Increases metabolism, which burns more calories, and enhances weight loss
• Reduces risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes
• Increases bone density, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis
• Increases good cholesterol (HDL)
• Improves sleep patterns
• Increases efficiency of digestion
• Reduces stress
• Decreases feelings of anxiety and depression
• Maintains muscle mass, healthy bones, joint mobility, and flexibility, which is especially important as we age
• Creates a sense of well-being and accomplishment
• Increases energy levels
• Strengthens your immune system
• Eases chronic pain
• The list goes on and on…

If you find yourself falling into that category where you can’t set a large chunk of time aside devoted to exercising, try breaking it up into short spurts throughout the day.  If you make it part of your daily routine, you’ll be more likely to comply, and it won’t even feel like exercise!  Here are some easy ways to add a little exercise to your life:

• Walk to the corner store instead of driving.
• Mow the grass with a push lawn mower.
• Go for a brisk walk instead of a leisurely stroll.  You can even incorporate this while shopping.
• Sit up while watching TV instead of lying down.
• Stand or walk around the house while talking on the phone.
• Get off the bus/subway one or two stops earlier and walk the rest of the way.
• While making dinner, put on some fun music and dance around.
• Skip the escalator and take the stairs.
• When watching TV, get up and move during every commercial break.  You can even add some squats or sit-ups.