Are you a busy professional who’s struggling to find time to exercise? We get it. We’ve been there ourselves. We know how hard it is to fit in a workout when you’re working long hours, travelling frequently, and trying to balance your personal life with the demands of your career. The last thing you want is to spend hours at the gym every week.
For those who want to stay healthy but don’t have time for an hour-long gym session every day, there are simple exercises that can fit into any schedule. These exercises will help you stay healthy and improve your mood and energy levels throughout the day. Win-win.
Exercise Can Help You in More Ways Than One
Exercise is essential for everyone, but it’s especially important for busy professionals. You might think you don’t have time to work out or need more energy to make it happen in the morning, but the truth is that if you want to be at your best – physically and mentally – then you need to exercise. A study found that people who exercise regularly are more productive than those who don’t. Another study found that people who exercise regularly are better at focusing on their work.
That’s because exercise helps us sleep better, so we feel more energised throughout the day, which makes us more likely to take on challenges at work. But it goes beyond just feeling great; there are also studies showing that exercise can help reduce stress levels and increase mental clarity, making it easier for you to focus on what matters most without distractions from stress or anxiety.
Integrating Exercise into Your Daily Routine
Exercise may be an integral part of a healthy life, but admittedly, it can be hard to fit in if you have a lot on your plate. Here are some tips that will help you incorporate exercise into your daily routine as a busy professional.
Make It a Priority
You first need to make exercise a priority, even if it means carving out time in your schedule to do so. If you don’t prioritise it, it will always be pushed back by other more pressing or urgent activities.
Keep It Short and Sweet
If you need more time, don’t think you have to go for hours on end to reap the benefits of exercise – even as little as 10 minutes can give you some of the same benefits as an hour-long workout. So, instead of thinking about how long you need to work out, focus on ensuring each workout ends before your willpower does!
Set a Reminder
Set an alarm on your phone or computer calendar every few hours throughout the day. This will help keep you accountable and ensure you’re working out regularly throughout the week.
Find Something Fun
If exercise feels like drudgery, not fun, chances are that it will only stay in your schedule for a short time. That’s why we recommend finding something you enjoy and making sure it’s something you can do in the morning or after work. And if your schedule changes every day, try to pick a few flexible options.
Make Sure It’s Challenging
Choosing easy exercises like walking or stretching is certainly tempting when you’re first starting out, but there are better choices for your health. There may need to be more than just walking and stretching to keep your heart healthy, build muscle strength and bone density, or burn fat. You’ll need a little more intensity if you want to see results.
Make It a Part of Your Routine
When you incorporate exercise into your daily life, it becomes second nature and doesn’t feel like an extra chore anymore. Try setting aside time in the morning before or after work, so it’s part of your daily routine instead of just something different in addition to everything else you have going on.
Make Sure It’s Sustainable
You don’t want to start an exercise routine that you can’t keep up with in the long run, so make sure you pick one that will last and works for you.
Easy Exercise Routines
These exercises are quick, easy, and effective ways to get in shape. They require no equipment and can be done anywhere, even while watching your favourite show!
The Burpee
This whole body exercise works your legs, arms, and core. To do it:
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower yourself into a squat position, then kick your feet back so you’re in a plank position.
- Perform a push-up and jump up to return to the squat position (now facing the opposite direction).
- Repeat for five minutes.
The Plank Walk
This exercise helps strengthen your core and upper and lower body muscle groups. To do it:
- Start in the plank position by putting your hands directly under your shoulders, your body straight from head to heels.
- Walk forward 10 steps and back 10 steps.
- You can walk side to side instead of forward and back if you prefer!
The Push-Up
Push-ups are great for strengthening your core and upper body muscles. To do it:
- Start in the plank position by putting your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Lower yourself slowly until your chest touches the ground.
- Push back up slowly until your arms are straight again.
- Repeat as many times as possible within 30 seconds before taking a break for one minute before repeating.
The Squat
Squats help strengthen your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and other muscles to improve your balance. To do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward, and arms hanging at your sides.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as close as possible).
- Push back up by straightening your legs and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Repeat 12 times.
The Lunge
Lunges help build overall muscle mass while also improving performance and strength. To do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, and arms hanging at your sides.
- Take a step forward with one leg into a lunge position, and ensure the knee does not extend past the toes.
- Lower yourself until both knees are bent at 90 degrees.
- Push back up by straightening both legs and pushing through the heel of the front foot for one rep; repeat 12 times per side (24 total reps).
6 Ways to Sneak Exercise at Work
If you’re climbing the career ladder, you likely have a lot on your plate. You might be working long hours and sacrificing sleep to get ahead at work. You may be taking on extra responsibilities as you try to impress your boss. Or maybe you’ve got a family at home waiting for you when you get back from work.
Remember, however, that exercising is something you can only put off for a while. It’s essential for your health and will improve your mood and help you focus during the day. So how do you fit in exercise when life is so busy? We’ve got some exercise tips that can help – even when work is piling up on top of everything else!
1. Go for a Walk During Lunch
This is an easy way to sneak in some movement without leaving the office or changing into workout clothes. Just make sure not to go too fast or run – you want this to be relaxing, not stressful!
2. Use the Stairs Instead of the Elevator or Escalator
This will help burn calories and improve cardiovascular health while giving your body some movement that isn’t sitting down all day long (which can lead to all sorts of problems).
3. Do Some Stretching
Stretch your arms, legs, and neck throughout the day. This will keep your body limber and avoid muscle cramps or knots.
4. Chair Dips
Sit on a chair with your hands gripping the edge of the seat. Slowly lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up. Do this 10 times for three sets each day!
5. Desk Push-ups
Find a space on your desk where you can put your hands and feet when doing push-ups. Lower yourself until your chest touches the surface of your desk, then push back up again. Do this 10 times each day.
6. Do a Few Squats While You Use the Restroom
Squats are one of the best exercises for toning your legs, so go ahead and try it out when you have a minute or two. You might even hit the toilet more often to sneak in another squat session.
