I’ve written about my true feelings about the “time” excuse. But no matter. Let’s say you really don’t have any time to exercise. None. There is still something you can do–capture micro minutes and use them for exercise.
Here are some random portions of the day you can easily incorporate exercise so you can be stronger and move better and develop your fitness consciousness:
- While the coffee maker brews coffee
- while the shower water warms up
- Periodically throughout the day at your desk
- While you drive
- While you walk
- Going up the stairs
- Going down the stairs
- Playing with a baby
- Mowing the lawn
- Watching TV
- In Conversation
- While you’re toasting bread
- While the microwave heats your food
- Opening doors
- Shoveling snow
These are times that I take advantage of. Most of the things I do involve stretching, especially chest opening and shoulder externally rotating stretches. These are areas that beset the desk bound worker most. In addition to that I stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings.
For times like when the toast is toasting or the coffee is brewing, I will do joint mobility. Not always, but especially when I feel like I need it.
When I reach for doors I will move fast or smoothly depending on what I want to emphasize. Sometimes I’ll lock my tricep and push open the door as I walk into it, hardly slowing down and not changing the bend of my arm.
When I go up stairs I work on my breathing–inhale through nose three steps exhale through mouth three steps. (This is on long sets of stairs.)
If you’re watching TV, stretching is great. Just get on the floor and stretch it out and let all the tension escape.
If you’re playing with a baby, crawl around. Mimic the baby’s movements.
While the shower water warms up, I like doing a full body muscle contraction. Starting from my toes and working my way up. This is great for muscle control.
Do you think I do this stuff all the time? Of course not! It varies depending on how much I have exercised, how I feel, and what I need. If I am feeling run down, I do less–but I still do something.
And that is the point. Capture these micro minutes and devise a strategy to strengthen your weak spots and get stronger, more flexible, and more of your body in these brief moments of time.
You don’t need a regimented exercise program, a fancy gym, or even cool-looking fitness clothes (but, hey—why not?)—you just need to make better use of the time you already have–and you do that by developing a fitness consciousness.