Many don’t have the requisite spare time to expend on a daily exercise regiment, let alone a few hours at the gym. But, don’t fret, since it’s completely possible to sneak-in some exercise during the course of the day. In fact, here are a few tips showing you how to do exactly that. What’s more, you won’t need to touch your credit card to do them.
Take Walks
You won’t even need equipment to do this one, as a good, comfortable shoe will be all that is required. And, you’ll be surprised just how beneficial walking can be, despite its relative ease. So, if you need to go somewhere, why not try walking to it rather than using a car to sneak in some exercise in your day. Your heart will thank you for it. Indeed, studies show that a mere 21 minutes of walking per day can lower your risk of heart failure by a whopping 30%. What’s more, a 10-year study published in the journal PLos One shows that taking 10,000 steps a day decreases risk of death from all causes by as much as 46%. Those are huge benefits to one’s health that should convince one to make an investment in walking.
Gardening Works, Too
You want to burn calories but don’t have the time? Well, you’ll need to take care of your garden at some point, provided you have one, so take your time and garden, because all that digging, raking and mowing can be a workout in itself. Not only that, gardening does wonders for one’s mental health, too; a 44-year study published in the journal Neurology found that gardening as little as 4 hours a week can decrease the risk of dementia by as much as 56%. Gardening, after all, is a good way to de-stress, which goes a long way in terms of ones mental health. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen however—SPF 15 or higher—if you intend to be under the sun for a while.
Wash the Car
While it’s not exactly what one would call an enjoyable thing to do (I suppose depending on who you ask), but it definitely is, to a huge degree, a good way to get an exercise. After all, hosing and wiping a sufficiently sized vehicle can burn calories just as well as anything. It is, after all, more than just a light exercise. Indeed, 30 minutes of daily light exercise was found to reduce early death by 17 % according to a study that followed 7,999 adults that was published in The American Journal of Epidemiology.
Push that Stroller
You’ll need to, anyway, so might as well make the most of it! And, doing so adds up to reducing those unwanted calories; studies show that merely 30 minutes of pushing a stroller can burn as much as 130 calories. Now, imagine if you had to push it uphill. You’d be getting a workout in no time.
No Time for Kettlebells? Go Bowling Instead
Bowling will be more fun, after all. And a lot of the movements entailed in those kettlebell exercises are mimicked when bowling, so you get much of the benefits with the added benefit of it being more fun. Trust us, lifting that bowling ball and swinging it over and over again will do wonders for your core strength. One would essentially be doing a combination of squats, lifts and lunges in one fluid motion. It is, to some degree, weight training and a cardio work-out combined.
Listen to Music and Shake that Body
It’s both fun and a good workout. Not just that, it’s mood-elevating, too. So trust us, whatever app it is you’re running, whether Spotify, Apple Music, or what have you—these are great investments. Create an awesome playlist, crank up the volume of your head phones and dance your way to a healthy body.
Take a Dip
But, not just that, do some laps, too. You can credit us for the wonderful idea later. Swimming is a low-impact type of exercise that won’t be too stressful on your joints. Swimming is a great calorie-buster, which can carve off about 220 calories in as little as half an hour. If you don’t want to swim, you can even stay in your position and run in place or do jumping jacks. The water will provide resistance leading to a slew of cardiovascular benefits for yourself.
Take the Stairs
Even if you see an elevator, take the stairs. You’ll be surprised with how much of a workout you’ll be getting just using the stairs whenever you can. Indeed, a study that was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that climbing three flights of stairs just three times a day does wonders for one’s cardiovascular fitness.