Simple Ways To Fit Exercise Into Your Day

Every January, when the New Year rolls in, millions of American take part in an age old tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. Some people promise to save up more money; others swear they will finally quit their miserable jobs and remake their careers from scratch.

But by far the most common New Year’s resolution made in this country is to finally lose some weight. People make this resolution year after year after year, and then break it year after year after year.

• They join gyms, spending hundreds of dollars over the course of the following twelve months for memberships they never use.
• They stock up on diet food, only to let it sit idly in their pantries.

Many people quit because they don’t see results fast enough or because they don’t think they have the time to incorporate new habits into their lifestyle. But there are a lot of simple ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Below are a few tips to get you started.

1. Park farther away. It is common practice to park in the spot closest to the entrance, but whether you are driving to work or to the mall, try parking all the way at the far end of the lot instead. This will force you to walk the distance twice – to the entrance and back. It will probably only take you a few extra minutes, but it will force you to exercise multiple times a day.
2. Take the stairs. Of course if you work on the thirtieth floor, taking the stairs instead of the elevator is not always a viable option. But if you live or work on the tenth floor or lower, start climbing. And if you do live on a very high floor, at least consider taking the stairs down. It’s fast and the exercise is relatively easy – but it’s still exercise!
3. Walk or bike instead of driving. Many people in the United States have gotten used to driving everywhere, whether it’s ten miles or a tenth of a mile. Try to break that habit by buying a bike for any distances over a mile. If it’s less than a mile, try walking. Put in some headphones and you might even enjoy yourself. Listen to a podcast and you might even learn something!
4. Fire your assistant. (Or at least give him or her a vacation.) If you have an assistant, you probably have that person do a lot of the legwork, literally, you would otherwise do yourself. Spend a week doing all of that yourself and see if it is really so terrible. Get your own glass of water; pick up your own dry cleaning. All that running around is good for you!
5. Go out with your friends more. It can be easy to fall into the old routine of waking up, going to work, coming home, sitting on the couch, going to bed, and then waking up to do the whole thing over again. Break those habits by making plans with your friends in the evenings. Go to the museum on the weekend, either alone or with a companion. Just get yourself off the couch and out of the house.

These are just a few ways you can incorporate exercise into your regular routine. Get creative and have fun with it.