It's not necessary to join a gym or have a personal trainer. You can design your own fast workout that you'll know you'll enjoy. Remember, just 20 minutes a day!
First, make time to exercise
- Set your alarm 20 minutes earlier. Roll out of bed and get your workout out of the way.
- Take 20 minutes of your lunch break to walk and stretch. If possible, walk outside and get some fresh air and a change of scenery at the same time.
- Use television to your advantage. Dance, walk around the house, or hit the stairs during commercials.
Choose the activities you enjoy
- Love yoga? Buy a deck of yoga cards and put together your own personal 20-minute stretch.
- Put on music with a great beat and dance. If you have children, they'll love to dance with you. It's a great way to ensure that the whole family is getting exercise.
- Have a gym class flashback. Doing jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and running in place will have you feeling like you're back in junior high.
- Channel your inner twelve year old. Jump rope, hula hoop, dribble a ball, play tag or hide-and seek. Even if you don't have kids, a spouse or significant other would probably love to join in.
It really doesn't matter what you do or how you do it. Putting in 20 minutes a day to move will give you the benefits you need and maybe even put a little fun back into your life.
More resources from About.com to help get you started...
Source: (2008, Dec. 17). Physical Activity for Everyone. Retrieved March 10, 2009, from Center for Disease Control (CDC) Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
