4 Exercises You Can Do When You’re Short of Time
Talk of health can be a conversation we often take for granted. The phrase “health is wealth” represents the idea that looking after your own health and fitness can be the key to a prosperous life. A life in substandard health can translate to insufficiently managed finances.
Getting started on fitness does not need to begin with an intense first step. If dieting and working out are new habits to you, the journey can always be started a step at a time.
Crunched on time? Here are easy and effective workout ‘alternatives’ you can insert into your daily life.
1 - Stretching
A good first step to jumpstarting your fitness journey is conditioning. Find yourself simultaneously involved in more physical activity from the day-to-day. For starters, try this: reverse crunches. From the term of the workout itself, it’s pretty much the same as crunches—except that you move your lower body, not your upper body.
Start with (1) lay flat on your back, knees bent with your feet flat on the bed. (2) Lift your butt (until you look like a human slide). (3) Hold this position while you lift one knee toward your chest, then move it back down from your position in step 2. (4) Repeat step 3 for other knee. And lastly, (5) repeat steps 2 and 3—in 3 sets of 10 repetitions (‘reps’), with 30-second breaks in between reps.
2 - Filling the Gaps in Idle Time
Another way you can squeeze some exercise into your daily routine is to take advantage of idle times. Is the line at the bank taking a while? Try some calf raises. All you have to do is to lift your heel until you are just standing on the balls of your feet. How about a file that’s taking some time to upload? Do some lunges or jumping jacks in front of your desk.
3 - Skip the 4 Wheels
By ‘skip’, of course, we don’t mean to completely forget using the car. You may just want to consider not travelling with a car on some days to encourage more physical activity on your end. You can try biking to work or the store if you need something. You can also try walking or jogging if the office is just a few blocks from your residence.
4 - Take the Stairs
If you don’t have time to go around your neighborhood to jog or walk, take advantage of going to your office on foot. Climbing up the stairs is a great way to get some cardio before work or even after work. If you do this enough times, you can get more used to physical activity and perhaps want to step up to more intense exercises.
Time and your job might sometimes pose a delay in the way of your fitness goals. But that doesn’t mean that you should let that get the best out of you.
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