The Busy Woman’s Guide/Check List to Incorporating Exercise into Your Daily Life

Women have many different roles that they must balance each day – – wife, mother, employee, friend, etc. With so many roles, it may be difficult to find time each day to take care of your needs. Even if you do not have as many roles as some women do, it may still be difficult to incorporate exercise into your daily life. Evidence has shown that exercising three to four times each week is the best way to stay physically fit and healthy. Exercising has many benefits:

• Prevent or reduce the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes
• Improves sleep
• Prevents weight gain and promotes weight loss
• Helps relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Improves mood
• Reduces stress

Because exercise is important to living a healthy life, it is important that you find ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life. It will improve your overall health, give you more energy and allow you to take care of everything and everyone that depends on you every day.

Checklist for incorporating exercise into your daily life

• Get up early – By getting up 30 minutes earlier three to four days each week, you will be able to get in your workout before your busy day begins.
• Workout for lunch – Turn your lunch hour into a workout session. If you do not have time to make it to the gym, take your tennis shoes to work with you and walk during your lunch hour.
• Turn television time into exercise time – Catch up on your favorite shows while you workout. Time will fly by and you will get in a great workout before you finish the first show on your DVR.
• Skip the elevator – By taking the stairs each day, you will get a great workout without giving up much time in your busy schedule. If you can fit in a couple of trips up and down the stairs, you will do even more good in just a few minutes each day.
• Workout during naptime – Take advantage of your child’s naptime by getting in a workout. Workout on a treadmill or pop in an exercise DVD for a great cardio workout while your child sleeps.
• Turn family time or socializing into a workout – Instead of going to dinner with friends, pack a picnic and go on a scenic hike. Plan a touch football game for Saturday morning before brunch or gather everyone for an afternoon walk before dinner.
• Make chores a workout – Mow the lawn with a push mower or rake leaves for a couple of hours. Turn housework into a workout by setting a timer for 30 minutes and cleaning as much of your home as you can during that time – – work efficiently but quickly to work up a sweat.
• Schedule time – If you cannot seem to find time for a workout, start scheduling an “appointment” time for your workout. Until you make exercise a priority, it will be easy to skip your workout routines.

It may seem difficult to find time to exercise but if you find creative ways to work exercise into your busy life, the rewards will far outweigh the temporary inconvenience.