25 Ways to Fit Fitness into Your Day

Balancing work, family, friends, and other responsibilities rarely leave a 30-60 minute block of time for getting in a quality workout every day. The following twenty-five mini-workouts are designed to help the average person fit in fitness throughout the day.

Wear a pedometer throughout the day and set a goal of walking 10,000 steps, which is about three miles for the average person.

While brushing your teeth, do 30 calf raises (stand flat on your feet then slowly stand up on your toes and lower yourself back down again).

Lift light weights during one TV show at night. During the commercials, do core exercises to work out your abdominals. Crunches, the plank, reverse crunches, bicycle crunches are all good abs exercises.

Park or get off on a bus stop a few blocks away from work to ensure that you get at least two short walks in a day.

Instead of walking down your hallway in your home, do walking lunges instead.

Every time you come to a stoplight or a stop sign, correct your posture and tuck your tummy to help strengthen your abdominals.

Skip the elevator and take the stairs.

Skip every other stair to get a good quadriceps workout.

Do pushups against the kitchen counter when you are waiting for the microwave.

Work as fast as you can while doing the housecleaning to get in a mini cardio workout.

March in place while talking on the phone.

Take fitness breaks instead of snack breaks at work and walk around the block or do a few exercises with hand weights.

If you have one, place your stair stepper, stationary bike, or fitness ball near the TV.

Keep ankle weights in your desk at work so you can do mini leg workouts while you are working at the computer.

Do a set of squats while you wait for the computer to print.

Get your heart rate up first thing in the morning by doing jumping jacks, step ups, or jumping rope.

Take the long route and walk around the block to get the mail.

Walk or bike at least once a week to do some of your errands.

Buy video games that require movement such as a dancing game or Wii.

Squat down instead of bending over to pick up something off of the floor.

Do bicep curls with milk gallon jugs as you unload them from the car.

Sit on a fitness ball instead of a chair while working at a desk.

Plan active fun for the weekend such as hiking, mountain biking, dancing, beach volleyball, or softball.

Do chair dips/tricep dips while waiting for the computer to boot up.

Set aside five minutes before going to bed to stretch or do yoga.