If you’re like me, you find yourself sitting a bit too often. We all know that eating well and regular exercise are important to our health, but it can be hard to find the time. Doctors recommend 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week. That’s 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity a day. The good news is that you don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. Even 5 minutes of movement is better than nothing. So here are 30 ways to squeeze a little more exercise into your day.
In 5 minutes you can…
- Dance to your favorite song
- Jump some rope
- Do some pushups
- Play a game of hopscotch
- Take the stairs
- Park at the far end of the parking lot
If you have 10 minutes, you can…
- Walk around the block
- Vacuum the living room
- Sweep the kitchen
- Challenge your kid to a hula hoop contest
- Try this 10-MINUTE CIRCUIT using only your bodyweight
- See how many squats you can do during commercial breaks
In 15 minutes, you can…
- Put away the laundry
- Take the dog (or cat) for a walk
- Practice your HULA HOOPING (So you’ll win next time you challenge your kid!)
- Install a car seat (HERE‘s a tutorial to help!)
- Clean out your car
- Mop the kitchen
If you have 20 minutes, try…
- Go for a bike ride
- Start a game of tag
- Learn some YOGA in the comfort of your living room
- Weed your garden
- Wash the car by hand
- Rearrange your living room
If you have 30 minutes, try…
- Give GEOCACHING a try
- Go for a swim
- Put together that coffee table
- Start a game of catch
- Try a class at the gym
- Follow along with a Zumba class at home
Want help making a plan to move more? The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Move Your Way Activity Planner is a great tool to get started. You can use it to see how the movement you already do – like laundry or walking the dog – add up. Then, you can search for additional activities to fill in any gaps.