Making Time to Work Out

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults get 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise five days per week or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week for optimal health. Don’t have that much time to set aside at once? You can get the same benefits by breaking up these longer sessions into shorter 10-minute sessions!

Try it! Pack sneakers and leave 10 minutes early or work – walk a few laps around the parking lot before clocking in. Bring a co-worker along for a 10-minute stroll during your lunch break and take the stairs on your way back up to your office. Finish with a 10 minute after-dinner bike ride or walk your dog!

You can boost strength by adding just 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions of resistance exercise two days a week! Do this throughout your day, being sure to target each major muscle group.

Try it! Before sitting down, do 10 squats. When you go to grab the milk out of the fridge, do 8 bicep curls with each arm. Do your second set before you put it away.

To increase flexibility, fit in 30-second stretches whenever you can.

Try it! At your desk chair, stretch your low back by bending over at the waist; let your head and hands hang and hold for 15-30 seconds. Slowly come back up, one vertebra at a time.

Source: acsm.org