Multitasking for More Exercise
Everyone knows that we need to exercise to stay fit, but most people are so busy that it is hard to find the time to get enough exercise. One trick to help reconcile a busy lifestyle with the need for more exercise is to do two things at the same time. This can work in either direction. You can add something to your exercise routine in order to get more out of the time (or distract yourself from how much you don’t like exercising). Conversely, it is also possible to sneak exercise into activities that you are already doing.
The first type of multitasking is nothing new. Athletic clubs have offered music and television screens as a distraction or diversion for year. Outdoor joggers and walkers often turn their exercise routines into movie montages by listening to the soundtrack of their own lives while they sweat. More cerebral joggers opt for audio books or podcasts in order to improve themselves intellectually and physically at the same time.
The second type of multitasking requires a little creativity and follow-through, but it has the advantage of enhancing fitness without burdening your schedule. Simply look for ways to slip a little exercise into activities that you already do routinely. One commuter tightens her abdominal muscles every time she stops at a red light. Another friend clenches her stomach muscles and buttocks alternatively every time she brushes her teeth. Still another friend has found a creative way to turn his elevator ride into part of his fitness plan.
Since he often rides his office elevator alone, he does squats every time he takes the elevator. Some would opt for the stairs as a healthier option, but this guy’s reasoning is that he has found a way to work jogging and walking into his schedule, but the elevator ride gives him a chance to work in squats, which are a newer part of his routine. Shape magazine offers so simple solutions to fit in exercise no matter how busy your schedule. There are endless possibilities when it comes to squeezing exercise into your life; you just have to find something that fits into your routine and stick with it.
If you have become frustrated in your pursuit of fitness or weight loss, it might be time for you to seek help from a professional weight loss clinic. On the Space Coast, Dr. Diego Velarde at the Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute in Merritt Island has over ten years of clinical practice and specializes in bariatric surgery.