What do you think holds most people back from regular physical activity or exercise?
Time —-> Does this sound familiar, “I just don’t have the time”.
I hear you, it seems like were always in a rush to get the next thing done. Getting up and making it to work on time, getting home in time to catch the kids off the bus, frantically trying to get the kids fed and off to skating/swimming/gymnastics before getting home, throwing supper together, cleaning said supper and managing some playtime or homework before bath and bedtime. I get it, you’re exhausted at the end of the day and the last thing you feel like you have the energy for is exercise. But what if I told you, exercise will actually give you more energy?
What if you could increase your overall health just by finding pockets of time? Instead of viewing exercise as a predetermined amount of time, why not try and incorporate it into time that is already available. Here’s what I’m taking about, our kids go to gymnastics, anyone who’s taken their kids to gymnastics in Sydney knows that you get kicked out of the gym and have an hour to yourself (amen!), instead of sitting in my car, scrolling on my phone, I take that pocket of time to walk the dog on the walking track that’s just beside the bicentennial gym. I burn some of our busy lab’s energy (lab owners will recognize the importance of this!! ) and I get some movement and fresh air while the kids are inside learning how to skin the cat! You could take that strategy for any extracurricular activities, skating lessons, hockey practice, painting lessons, you get the picture. I know many parents might feel guilty because they aren’t watching their child, but guess what, your body’s need to move is just as important as theirs. Move while you can!
You have more pockets of time than you realize. 10 minutes a day broken up is just as good as the straight 30 minutes. At 7 days a week, this will give you 210 minutes of physical activity! The current national guideline for weekly physical activity in adults is 150 minutes (so you would be knocking that target right out of the park!). Here are some ways you can turn your pockets of time into your exercise:
Waiting for supper to cook? Pop some squats!
Use clothesline instead of the dryer!
When putting away laundry, nail some walking lunges!
Instead of Netflix and chill, try Netflix and stretch! Sit on the floor and do some simple stretches
Waiting in line at the grocery store? Perfect time for Kegels!
Brushing your teeth at the sink? Work on those toe/calf raises!
Getting groceries? Park at the absolutely farthest spot!
Kids playing after school? Get down on your hands and knees and give them a horsey ride (if the thought of this makes you cringe because of pain, give us a call!!)
Sick of the snow? Build a snowman!
Kids in the bath? Rock your core with exercises right there on the floor beside them!
Like sleeping in? Set your alarm for a simple 10 minutes earlier and walk 10 laps around the house, or better yet, walk outside!
House a mess? Clean it up, but time yourself to make it a cardio workout!
Sitting all day at work? Set an alarm for every 20 minutes, stand up, do some posture reps, walk around your desk and sit back down (your back will love this one!)
There are tons of pockets that are available to you, you just have to look for them. Adding physical activity to our lives is one of the most important thing you can do for longevity and health. You’ve got this! Now go get it!
Dr. J
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