How to Stay Fit in a Busy World
by Lisa Gartland
posted April 4, 2009

I’d like to say that you CAN get fit in ten minutes a day! But while ten minutes is certainly better than nothing, three to five hours a week of exercise is recommended. Seems impossible? Here are four tips to help you make fitness happen, despite your busy schedule.

First, realize that fitness is worth your time. Exercise makes you stronger, more energetic, and helps you sleep. Fitness protects you from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and back pain. A workout can lift your mood, and is a great way to deal with a stressful, demanding life.

Second, make exercise a habit. Schedule it for a time when you’re least likely to be derailed, and consistently make it happen. Prepare beforehand, since not having clean socks can make you skip a workout. A team or partner can give you even more motivation to meet your fitness commitment. Most importantly, see exercise as an unquestioned part of your self-care routine, like brushing your teeth. This simple shift in thinking can have a profound effect on how much exercise you do.

Third, make your workouts fun & rewarding. Find something that exhilarates you. Between group classes, sports, running or weight workouts, it’s easier than ever to find the right exercise for you. Whatever you choose, work hard enough to feel challenged, yet not so hard that you can never catch your breath. Your body releases endorphins when you pace your workouts effectively, for a wonderful sense of well being when you’re finished.

Fourth, add more exercise to your daily routine. When possible, walk or bike to work. Skip elevators and escalators, climb the stairs instead. When driving, park farther away from your destination. Carry groceries instead of pushing a cart. Clean your house and garden with vigor. Play tag with your children and take your dog on hikes. These activities, and more, can be counted in your weekly fitness log.

How do you get to three to five hours of exercise a week? How about a couple of early morning exercise classes, two lunchtime hikes, power vacuum the house, and ride bikes with your kids? Or maybe run after work, lift weights in the gym, and play soccer on the weekend? Hmmm, that’s not so hard.

If you want to be fit, but have always felt you were too busy to make it happen, think again!

Lisa Gartland is the owner of Inside Outside Fitness, a friendly, neighborhood gym at 4444 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, www.insideoutsidefitness.com.

This article was also printed in the Piedmont Post.

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