The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

10 Tips for Making Exercise a Habit





 

 

Exercise is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You probably know the importance of exercise to your good health, but finding the time to fit exercise into a busy lifestyle is often a problem. Here are 10 easy tips to help make exercise a part of your daily life.

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stair climbing is a good aerobic exercise.

2. Play with the kids. Play catch, tag or even ping-pong for 30 minutes. The most important thing is getting off the couch and getting the family involved.

3. Take a walk at lunch. If the weather is bad, go to a local, indoor mall.

4. Park far away. Whether you are running errands or parking at work, pick the furthest spot possible to increase your walk back and forth.

5. Use TV commercials as exercise time. Don’t switch channels when the commercials come on, instead lift light, handheld weights, see how many sit-ups you can do until the program comes back on or try marching in place. These can all be done while watching TV also, not just during the commercial breaks!

6. Enlist a pal’s help. You are more likely to make exercise a habit if you have a support system of friends and family.

7. Wear a pedometer. Knowing how many steps you take per day will encourage you to add more steps each day. For a great walking program, check out the American Diabetes Association’s “Club Ped” at www.diabetes.org/ClubPed/ index.jsp.

8. Pace while you talk on the phone. Today’s cordless and cell phones are perfect for getting in some steps while exercising your mouth.

9. Set a timer. If you sit for great lengths of time at work, set a timer to remind you to stretch, walk around and even do mini-exercises in your chair every 20 minutes.

10. Can’t find time during the day? Then start the day earlier! Exercising is a natural way to boost your energy levels; consider it a healthier alternative to that morning cup of coffee. Exercise combined with a healthy diet, can help you control your diabetes and improve your overall health. Adding just one of these tips to your day is an easy way to get started.


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