Most Americans are aware of the benefits of exercise for improving overall health, especially reducing the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, this is often not incentive enough when there seems to be not enough time in a day to complete regular activities.
Any new added activity takes about 30 days to become habitual, and regular exercise (6 days a week, at least 30 minutes a day) falls into that category. Preplanning is one of the keys to making exercise part of the daily routine. Often people need to schedule exercise into their organizer or day planner, just as they would a staff meeting or lunch with a colleague. For many busy Americans, getting up a half hour earlier to get in that morning walk or run can do the trick.
However, if these steps just do not seem to be working or "exercise" is not enjoyable, there are other ways to fit aerobic activity into your life.
1. Instead of going out to dinner with friends or family, schedule outings like a trip to the zoo or botanical garden as a way of catching up.
2. Simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator can add up over time.
3. If you have kids, play outside with them! They are a bundle of energy and you can get a real work-out in 20 minutes.
4. Join a dance class or some other group that is not like going to the gym but gives the same result.
5. Choose games like volleyball or baseball to include in summer picnics and family get togethers, instead of croquet or horseshoes.
6. If choosing a new hobby, a more intense sport like tennis takes up less time than the time intensive golf, and burns many more calories.
Posted by Dr. Jennifer Stagg on July 12, 2006 08:05 AM
