For several of us, what’s holding us back are excuses. Often, we just feel like we don’t have the time or money to get ourselves out to the gym, or maybe it’s that deep-down, we hate running too much to put aside half an hour for it. But the 24-hour day is full of opportunities for physical activity, and if you put your mind in it, there’s always a simple way to burn some calories.
Work out at home. Sure, gym memberships are expensive, and even with a membership, it's hard to get motivated enough to go regularly. Luckily, we live in a time where almost anyone can have access to the kind of workout tapes that only existed on VHS or DVD fifteen years ago. if you have an internet or data connection and some kind of screen, you have access to a wealth of YouTube workout tutorials by fitness masters, fun graphic tutorials, and awesome playlists just for workouts. If you can, invest in one or two workout tools, like a yoga mat or a set of free weights. Even without them, you can have a full workout without even leaving your home.
Make your workout more intense. If you can get to the gym, but can’t set aside 45 minutes to jog, try doing an interval-based workout. If you’re running, walking, biking, or StairMaster-ing, CNN suggests warming up at a moderate pace for 5-10 minutes, and then starting a pattern: go all-out for 30 seconds, then slow down to a moderate pace for 45 seconds. Repeat this five times, then cool down for 5-10 minutes.
Fit in physical activity at work. If you can do your work standing up, then do it. If you have an extra twenty minutes after your lunch, take a twenty minute walk. If you take public transportation to work, stand instead of sitting. If you work in a multi-story building, take the stairs. Park down the street from your office so you have to walk there and back. Even small amounts of exercise are better than none at all.
Share your progress online. Whether you have a fitness tracker that hooks up to your Facebook, or you tweet how sore your abs are from your core workout, or you let that fitness Instagrammer that you’ve completed day 5 of their squat challenge, make sure someone knows that you’re progressing. Seeing how much physical activity doing will make you feel like you’ve accomplished something, and encourage you to do more.
