By Jessica Feagin | UAB Community Health and Human Services Student Intern

If you’re like me, you are busy juggling work, children, and school, finding time to work out can be difficult. We all know that exercise helps reduce the risk of heart disease and helps lower cholesterol, but sometimes life gets in the way. The good news is that there are many tips to incorporate exercise on a tight time budget.

The American Heart Association (2022) provided a few tips on ways to boost your activity level when you have no time for exercise:

• Walk your dog.
• Take a walk with your spouse or kids. Explore new neighborhoods or create a scavenger hunt.
• Try a quick 10-minute home workout.
• Walk while you are talking on the phone.
• Jog or walk in place.
• Walk on the treadmill while watching your favorite TV show.
• Park farther away and walk to your designation.
• Take the stair when you can.

I try to boost my activity level without working out by dancing. It doesn’t even feel like you are exercising and it’s a fun way to burn calories. You can turn on music and include dance moves while cooking, cleaning the house, or even spending time with your children. A friend once told me to get up half an hour early in the morning to exercise. That is a great tip if you can do it, but if you’re like me, you want to get as much sleep as possible. For this reason, managing little exercises into the daily grind helps me keep moving. Every step counts.

How do you boost your activity level when living a busy life?

References:

No time for exercise? here are 7 easy ways to move more!. http://www.heart.org. (2022, October 20). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/no-time-for-exercise-here-are-7-easy-ways-to-move-more