How To Incorporate Exercise Into Everyday Life

by: Jed Turner

With many of us having sedentary jobs that demand little or no exercise at all, finding time outside of our work environment for exercise has become increasingly important. Lack of exercise is linked to many conditions and illnesses, such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Exercising sufficiently does not mean you need to become a workout wonder at the gym, or that you need to jog five miles a day. Exercise can be incorporated into your daily life so that it feels a natural part of your life, and a natural part of who you are. This article will show you various ways in which to achieve this.

If you can, exercise out doors as far as possible. There are two advantages of doing whatever you are doing outside. One advantage is that it gives your body a chance rejuvenate in fresh air and, hopefully, some sunshine. Secondly, a change of scene helps keep you perked up and it is a break from remaining cooped up all day long.

Try to collect some information about exercise, there are a lot of things that you can do at home. Extensive research has been done on exercise and plenty of this information is easily available.

You can try browsing the net or getting a book or two on how to exercise at home. This information will be useful to you to know how much you need to work out on each specific exercise in order to burn off a desired number of calories.

A very important element of a lasting commitment to exercise is motivation. It can help to have somebody exercise along with you. Try to find someone who is committed, or else your own interest might dwindle. One of the advantages of getting a committed person to exercise with you is that it keeps you going. There may be days when you feel just too lazy to crawl out of bed in the mornings. On such days, the knowledge that somebody is waiting for you is enough to slide out of bed. You can also discuss your progress and fears with another person and be a sympathetic listener to the other person as well. This is a fine way of maintaining your motivation.

To start with, keep it gentle, and take one step at a time. Stop when you are out of breath or when a certain part of your body tells you that it has had enough. It's important not to overdo it, in case you cause injury, or just find it so hard going that you give up. Allow time for your body to respond to your exercise routine, and increase the level of exercise that you do very gradually.

Select an exercise pattern to suit your life style. All of us have different life styles and professions so there is no sense in trying to follow the book strictly. Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. You have to understand that even more important than the exercise itself is sticking to it. So unless you choose something that can suit your life style, you are not going to stick on to it.

Walking everywhere as much as possible is ideal. Choose to walk rather than catch the bus. Choose to walk for an hour at lunchtime rather than continuing to sit at your desk having a sandwich - make sure you enjoy it, so if you can, walk in the fresh air around a park, listen to the birds and enjoy watching the activities of others who may be exercising around you. Choose to walk rather than stand - pacing about, even in a fairly meaningless way, can be very beneficial. If you are thinking deeply about something, try pacing about, it will aid in your thinking.

Try watching less TV. Usually doing something else other than watching TV will involve more activity, whether it's catching up on housework, doing a spot of gardening, or engaging in some DIY. The sense of achievement you feel afterwards will be worth more than any enjoyment you got from watching TV. What's more, watching TV is linked to eating unnecessarily, and usually unhealthily. Resolve to watch only say two or three of your favourite programs, and the rest of the time switch it off, and listen to some music or the radio instead.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Elevators are one hell of a convenience particularly if you have to go up or down some twenty floors. But elevators also make us very lazy.

Don't feel any particular need to go running. Walking can be just as beneficial. Fifteen minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to keep fitness at a reasonable level, though half an hour or more if you can is ideal. Try making a habit of going for a walk after lunch, or after dinner. Or get out of bed just half an hour earlier and enjoy the fresh morning air and the quietness of being outside before breakfast.

The golden rule is to make it a habit to be as active as possible. Avoid things that encourage you to be sedentary. Keep doing your exercise for at least thirty days - this will help habitualize your increased levels of activity, and help ensure that you keep doing it. And the health benefits will last you a (much increased) lifetime.

Copyright 2005 www.topexercisetips.com

About The Author

Jed Turner
More tips on incorporating exercise into a healthier lifestyle can be found at www.topexercisetips.com.

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