Add Exercise to Your Daily Life

In addition to your heart pumping, sweat inducing cardio workouts each day, there are other ways to add exercise to your daily routine.  It may be hard to imagine, but exercise doesn’t have to be cumbersome.  It doesn’t have to be something dreadful or riddled with anxiety.  With the addition of exercise to your daily activities, you’ll find yourself viewing exercise as normal.  The more you can find a place for workouts in the midst of your busy day, the less intimidated you’ll be.

Don’t forget: a heavy cardio workout is absolutely imperative to post-surgery success.  However, these mini workouts throughout the day will serve as the icing on the cake, so to speak.  Choose a few from the list below or come up with your own.  The key is choosing activities you do every single day and simply adding something to them.  You might even be able to sneak a few in at the office or on your lunch break!

Add Exercise to Your Daily Life:

1. Park at the back of the lot at the grocery store.  This kills two birds with one stone: you can enjoy the gorgeous fall weather and stretch your legs!  Your trek back from the grocery store to the car will be even better, with pounds of heavy groceries in your hands acting as weights.
2. While you brush your teeth, do a wall sit.  Simply stand against your bathroom wall and slide into a sitting position, as if there were an invisible chair beneath you.  Focus on keeping your balance and toning your legs.
3. Do a set of crunches during commercial breaks.  When you kick back at the end of a long day to watch your favorite show, let the commercial breaks act as workout motivators.
4. If you’ve got the option at work, choose the stairs over the elevator.  This may seem small, especially if you’re only on the second floor, but doing it every day will be so good for you!
5. When you get a phone call from your best friend or your mom, take it while you walk.  Zip up your coat and head out on a walk around the block with your conversation.

The addition of these simple and quick exercises will help your body adapt to the longer, heartier workouts you do each day.  You’ll see exercise as a part of your life instead of as a chore!