Ways To Fit Exercise Into Your Schedule

I ask often ask people why they don't get the exercise that they know they should and the answer usually goes something like this. "Between work, and the kids, and running errands I don't have the time!" This excuse has always annoyed me because it is, well an excuse and a thinly veiled one. One for which there is supposed to be no easy rebuttal. I would like to refute that statement for everyone reading this article that has ever used a similar excuse for why they can't get more exercise into their busy lives. Most adults do not take the time to get even close to the recommended amount of exercise to keep the body in shape, keep off unwanted pounds, improve or maintain their heart health, improve their bone density to any notable or beneficial degree, or to reap any of the major benefits of exercising on a regular basis. Everyone's lives are busy, there are so many demands for our time that it is necessary to manage our time wisely as it is, and there are so many other things on our list of things we would like to do if we could find the time that fitness and exercise arrives quite far down on that list. However there is another list to consider, that is the list of health conditions that can affect those who do not maintain a healthy weight. An article on the website women and weight states:

Maybe you are already aware that the risk for heart disease and diabetes increases with weight gain. But did you know that extra weight also increases your risk for cancer? Being heavy or gaining a significant amount of weight as an adult increases your risk for postmenopausal breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, and kidney cancer.

Women who are overweight but not obese (more than 30-35% body fat) have a 34 % higher risk of dying of breast cancer than women who are normal weight for their age. According to recent research (2006) by the American Cancer Society as many as 90,000 deaths from cancer from all causes might be prevented by maintaining normal weight.

Obesity also increases risk for stroke, hypertension, acid reflux disease, gallstones, osteoarthritis, and the formation of blood clots in the legs (that could travel to the lungs or elsewhere).

Sept 10, 2006 Weight Loss for Women: Does it Matter? Women and Weight Website, http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss-for-women-does-it-matter/

Do you remember how active you were as a child, and then as a teen. As we age beyond our teen years we are already beginning to become more sedentary. We sit in the car, at work, in restaurants, in meetings, and in offices waiting for meetings. For most adults the more we rely on cars, buses, and planes to carry us to the places that we have to be, the more sitting that we do. The activity of childhood declines as young children become teens, and does even more so as teens turn into adults. Why? That is simple, as children we had to walk, run, ride, and skate to get to the places that we wanted to be, and when we got there we played ball games, dodge ball, stick ball, kick ball, baseball, soccer, football. We ran around, chasing, evading, tagging, tackling, scuffling, and wrestling with one another as children. When we were done we would rest catch our breaths, then walk, skate, run, and bike home. As children we were filled with boundless energy and it took no thought at all to fit healthy activity and exercise into our schedules. Then when we became young adults we got our drivers license and if we were lucky our first car, from that point on riding a bicycle or roller skating were no longer viable options. We had places to go and we needed to get there fast

Then you add to the suddenly sedentary lifestyle a diet of junk foods, treats, unbalanced meals, and erratic meal schedules. Unless your diet is seriously imbalanced it will take a few years to notice a difference in your energy levels and overall vitality. While many people fail to act at first, some will begin trying to eat healthier, or taking vitamin supplements, others will begin to rely upon caffeine and energy drinks to give them that extra bit of energy. Very few people will actually realize early on that the cause of their sluggishness is a lack of healthy activity and exercise. The reason that we had so much energy as kids, and could eat whatever we wanted, was because our bodies got a lot of exercise which kept our body functioning in peak condition. Of course there was less wear and tear on the body but the lack of energy can be directly attributed to a lack of hormones, endorphins, and other chemicals that were released by our bodies when we needed boundless energy. Couple that with the fact that our caloric requirements begin to decrease immediately after puberty as we are no longer growing and thus the body is no longer using calories and nutrients to produce the amounts of new cells and tissue that growth and maturation required, and the deck is already stacked against you as an adult. Also as an adult we no longer walk, run, bike, skate, or scoot as our common modes of transportation. Trading school for work is an even trade as it will require approximately the same portion of your time. A car is not an even trade for the locomotion that got us around as kids.

To get back some of the youth, energy, and vitality which you enjoyed in your youth you will have to exercise. You will also improve your health, lower your risk of diseases, and increase your life expectancy. If you think that there is no way that you can fit one more thing into your super busy schedule, fear not, there are still ways to shoehorn some vital exercise into your hectic life. The following activities are suggestions, they are also exercises that I do when engaged in the activities described. I will not only provide you with examples, and complete descriptions of some of the exercises I will also include some resources for illustrations and instructional videos for some of these exercises. If at first you have difficulty integrating the exercises into the activities with which they are described, please feel free to move on to another exercise or movement that you are capable of and which you're able to do in the space provided .Try not to overdue the exercises. Do not strain or injure yourself attempting a physical activity that you may not be healthy or strong enough for.

While watching television, instead of passively sitting on the sofa watching, get up and do some calisthenics or isometric exercises.

Calisthenics-

(used with a pl. verb) Gymnastic exercises designed to develop muscular tone and promote physical well-being: Sit-ups, trunk twists, and other calisthenics are demonstrated on the videotape.

Definition and referenced video found on the Answers.com website in their dictionary section. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/calisthenics

Isometric exercises-

Isometric exercise is a form of resistance training in which the participant uses the muscles of the body to exert a force either against an immovable object or to hold the muscle in a fixed position for a set duration of time. In this type of exercise, the muscle is contracted but does not change length during the exertion of force. Additionally the joint most closely associated with the effort remains static throughout the exercise.

Author Stasiewicz, Mary, Isometric Exercises, published on the How to do things.com website, retrieved from http://www.howtodothings.com/health-and-fitness/a3974-how-to-do-isometric-exercises.html, on March 20, 2010-03-20

Standing exercises

There are a number of exercises which can be performed at home without any weights, special clothing, or equipment necessary. Many exercises can be performed sitting or standing in a limited amount of space. Most people spend at least some of their time every day sitting. Sitting and talking with friends, sitting and talking on the phone. First we will start with calisthenics. You can slip your feet under your sofa and do sit ups. You could also lay with your rump against the sofa with your knees bent and laying atop the sofa cushions and do crunches. Both exercises are great for your abdominal muscles. Standing rather than sitting in front of your television you can do jumping jacks, trunk twists, arm circles (large and small), belly dancing snake arms, belly dancing undulations and other belly dance workout moves which are great for your core abdominal muscles, aerobic exercises, toe touching, squats, calf lifts, punches, kicks, kick boxing moves, high stepping in place, and more. Most of the moves that I mentioned here are either self explanatory or should be familiar to you with the exception of belly dancing and kick boxing. Instructions on how to perform both can be found on YouTube.com, e-How.com, and Howtodothings.com, DVD's, Netflix (if you are a member you can watch numerous fitness videos on demand on your pc). Once you have the basic moves down, you can perform them without needing to watch the video.

When I wash my dishes I normally do belly dancing undulations and hip circles. I find belly dancing is great for the abs and it is an exercise in which your hands are free to act independently. You can use your arms to do snake arms and other belly dancing hand movements or you can concentrate your efforts on your abs and use your hands to wash dishes, fold laundry, prepare food, or any other activity that requires standing in one place or within a limited space. You can also do calf raises or mini-squats. Glute flexors are also ideal for activities which require standing and your hands are busy while the rest of your body is not, and glute flexors are a isometric exercise that is low key enough to do when standing in line at the bank or coffee house. Simply flex your thighs and buttocks. Hold for a count of ten or twenty, release the muscle for half that count then repeat.

Step aerobics

If you have an old phone book laying around take a piece of heavy duty grade tape and tape the phone book closed both length wise and cross wise, set the phone book on the floor and use it as a step for doing step aerobic exercises while watching television or streaming music or videos on your computer. Start with either foot, simply step up onto the phone book with the right or left foot, then bring the other foot up to meet it so that you are standing atop the phone book, step down and back up. Do this step 100 times then switch feet so you are leading with the opposite foot and repeat 100 times.

For working and toning the hips, inner, and outer thigh, stand beside the phone book step up with the foot closest to the book again you will follow with the other foot so you are standing atop the book. Step down with both feet, one after the other, on the other side of the book. Step up onto the phone book going in the opposite direction so that you are standing on the other side of the phone book. Make sure that at the end of each pass that you step down from the book to the floor with both feet.

For working both legs, your buttocks, and your lower abs step up onto the book, with the following leg rather than just stepping up onto the phone book bring the following leg up in front of you. Bend your knee and raise the knee to the level of your hip. Place that foot down atop the book. Step down from the book with the leg that your are leading with and follow that with the other foot, so you are again standing on the ground with the book in front of you.

If you either don't have a phone book, or do not wish to use it for this purpose, there are many alternative objects you can use. A low and steady step stool, such as the type which people use in their kitchen for reaching into the uppermost cabinets is good for these exercises as long as it is sturdy, stable, and is not too high. A cinder block (I recommend wearing shoes if you choose to use a block) or a sturdy piece of wood, would also work. Any solid, sturdy, rectangular object that will not slide or overturn when you shift your weight on or off of it will work for doing these exercises

Lying down on the floor or a mat

Other exercises that you can do on the floor without any weights are leg lifts, crunches and crossover crunches with your legs bent in a crunch position or with your legs fully extended straight up. You can put your hands behind your head to support your neck or you can hold them up in front of you and reach for your toes. You can do stretches, such as those you did when you were younger in school before or at the beginning of P.E. class. Stretching is a great non impact way to increase your muscle tone as well as your flexibility with little risk of muscle or joint injury. Many people when they do stretches they tend to bounce up and down in the stretch pulling the muscle and then stretching it further when you bounce down or change sides. It is much better for the muscle if you stretch it and then hold the position rather than twanging the muscle in and out. For lengthening, stretching, and toning the muscle what you will want to do is extend into the fully stretched position and hold it there for a full minute. For stretching and developing both oblique core muscles and skeletal muscle rather than just extending your body into the stretched position you will start at center with your body upright and your legs extended out to either side as far as you can spread them. Lean your body slowly into the stretch bending for an eight-count until you reach the fully stretched and extended position. For a second eight count slowly bring the trunk of the body back to its upright position, pulling in and contracting those oblique muscles. While lying down there are few activities that you can also participate in at the same time, but when you are just sitting reading a book or watching television and your body is at rest you could enjoy the same activity while you are exercising.

While sitting in a chair

Again we spend a lot of time sitting, at desks, on the couch etc. If you are readying a report, magazine, or emails you can turn your chair to the side and bring both feet straight out in front of you. Pull both legs in at the same time bending at the knees and pulling them in toward your chest. Then straighten the legs back into the first position and repeat. You may need to hold edge of the chair or rock your body back slightly onto your tailbone for better balance. You can also extend both feet out in front of you and pulling both legs out to opposite sides into a v, then bring your ankles back together and repeat. Both of these exercises are great for your abs. Also, while seated or standing you can do arm circles, punches, belly dancing snake arms, curls with hand weights, and any number of isometric exercises which one can do while sitting at a desk or anywhere else.

I am sure that there are numerous other exercises that can be done while your hands, eyes, or mind are elsewhere at the same time that other things are being accomplished. You do not necessarily have to join a gym, or a class, nor do you have to add one more thing into your already busy lifestyle and schedule. Fitting in some extra exercise such as those I have mentioned here will probably not give you the ripped and toned abs that you see in fitness commercials, but it will help you to firm and tone your body and at least you are getting some exercise in your daily routine. The Mayo Clinic Online and the American Medical Association both recommend that you exercise for at least 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week to really take advantage of the benefits that exercise provides and to maintain optimal health. If the dishes must be washed every night, and it takes about 20 minutes to do them, if you do undulations, hip circles, mini-squats, or even glute flexors while you also do the dishes you will be over the recommended amount of exercise already. If you add such minimal exercise to a more formal or traditional fitness regime you can reach your fitness goals much faster. There are only 24 hours in a day, this makes it difficult to make time for the things that you do not absolutely have to do, and finding time on the other hand simply requires a little creative thinking and the ability to multi task.