Keeping up a successful career and keeping the lights on is fulfilling, but at times, 24 hours is hot enough. It’s a constant juggling of set schedules and the constantly changing whims of the commute. You want to be fit, to add any kind of gym to your routine, but when?
Staying active within your capability is essential for proper health. It aids circulation, drives brain health, reduces risks of disease, and strengthens bones and muscles. Unfortunately, one of the main activities of our daily life involves sitting in front of a blue-light screen or moving from a meeting where we’re sitting to another meeting where we do the same thing. There are many ways to keep yourself mobile on even the busiest days. Today, we’d like to discuss some of them.
Disclaimer: Manage Your Expectations
Some of the suggestions we’ll share today are more effective than others in showing results and muscle gain, but the reality is that for any exercise to work the way you want it to, you have to have the time to do it consistently. Be kind to yourself and be reassured that simply becoming active is good enough for your body. What’s more, it’s important to keep a balanced diet and to stay hydrated to provide the body with the nutrients it needs.
Let’s get moving.
A Small Adjustment
Walking is a very good way to exercise, as is climbing steps. They are also activities we do every single day. Regardless of your chosen form of exercise, take advantage of your daily walk, however long, and speed up the pace. Speedwalking is an effective way to keep your heart rate up and your lung capacity active. A brisk pace is all you need. You can do the same moving from floor to floor. Yes, the elevator is technically faster, but there’s a machine that emulates stairs in the gym for a reason! Take the stairs and climb them quickly.
Morning Stretch
While dynamic and static stretching may not constitute a workout regime, they also provide many benefits to your daily life and overall health. The best part is that you can do them first thing in the morning. Incorporate a couple of minutes of stretching into your morning routine and start your day with some action.
You can go a step further and use the 3 PM lull to repeat your stretches. You may even inspire your workmates to join you. A quick stretch is a great way to loosen up your muscles after a long day of sitting.
Use Your Break
Lunch doesn’t have to take up the entire hour, especially if meal prep is part of your routine. Put aside about 20 minutes to do some speedwalking, hit the gym, or do some quick exercises in your own office. Consider bicycle crunches, tricep dips, push-ups, mountain climbers, or any other machine-free workout you like.
High-Intensity Interval Training
One of the most effective ways to exercise on a tight schedule is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This trend in exercise suggests a quick series of intense exercises you can do in under 10 minutes. They combine strong bursts (about 30 seconds) of heavy work followed by short resting periods. There’s another type of HIIT called Tabata training, where the bursts of exercise last much less than those of regular HIIT workouts.
Minding your posture and technique is one of the best ways to get the most out of HIIT. The intensity is already a great form of exercise, but the right technique ensures that your entire muscle is working.
Use Your Wind-Down
Even the longest day must end. What better way to end it than with some exercise? Use the last few minutes of the day to sneak in a few push-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, and bicycle crunches. We suggest allowing your body to cool down for a few minutes before you sleep so it doesn’t interfere with your quality of rest.
The objective here is to make use of any gap in your schedule. A workout doesn’t have to last an hour of constant motion. Instead, it’s all about consistency and serious activity. Certainly, if you want a deeper workout, you’ll have to find the time for it. Still, we hope that today’s suggestions proved helpful and easy to bring into your packed routine. Click here to visit our blog and discover new ways to take care of your body, or visit our store and find our range of tasty and powerful protein bars.
