Greater Fitness With Less Effort
Fitness is fabulous, but it can also be a lot of time consuming work. When you find little ways of incorporating fitness right into everyday activities, you give yourself a big advantage! Use the following tips for ideas on how you can turn ordinary tasks into beneficial workouts.
1. Do stationary exercises. You can tighten and work various muscles, right from the comfort of your sofa or office chair. Look into specific exercises that will work on your more problem areas and do them three to five times a day, like while talking on the phone or surfing the Internet.
2. Always take the stairs. Unless you're running really late, walking up and down stairs are a great way to get a mini-workout in without ever having to go to the gym or work up a sweat. Skipping the elevator is very good for your heart!
3. Get the family off line. Nearly all of us spend way too much time with media, and interaction with our family members is more important than ever, so incorporate a little fitness with your family. This gives you a little bit (or more) of exercise and a great way to spend time together.
4. Skip the emails and conference calls when possible. Modern technology may be convenient, but it's not very beneficial for your waistline! Rather than taking the path of least resistance and meeting or chatting electronically, take the walk!
5. Turn household chores into a fitness routine. Most people dread one or more cleaning chores in the home, but turning on some music and increasing your speed can make cleaning more fun and beneficial. Create repetitious patterns when you sweep, mop and vacuum and feel the muscles stretching! Reach high to wash walls while standing on your tip-toes and work your arm, back and derriere muscles, all while doing what has to be done anyway.
6. Spice up your cooking to tighten and tone. Using butter or margarine to cook adds a lot of extra calories and fat, so try spices that can actually help your body burn calories instead. Cinnamon and cayenne pepper are just two examples of tasty ways to add flavor and boost your metabolism.
7. Use wrist and ankle weights. Buy a few in different colors that will blend right in with your outfits, and wear them often. This way, you'll be getting an extra workout in every time you raise your arm or put one foot in front of the other. Make sure to tighten them properly and that they don't strain anything with too much weight.
8. Burn calories and hydrate with ice-water. Drinking cold water actually burns calories, and you need hydration throughout the day anyway. Enjoy ice-water in place of coffee and/or soda, and do so often. Getting at least eight glasses a day will help you reach your fitness goals in a number of ways.
Working out can take many forms, and if you learn to mix it right into things you have to do anyway, you can save a lot of time and trouble. Use these tips and look for other ways to incorporate fitness into everyday living with little to no effort and a whole lot of rewards!
