I love what I do.
I may have mentioned that before.
But it’s true.
I get to coach some very accomplished, busy, hard-working women.
They’re great at what they do.
And they demand a lot of themselves.
So, when they begin to work with me, and I’m not all about “go big or go home”, they are skeptical.
Especially when it comes to exercise.
It feels like exercise should be all out, and all the time, in order to see results.
But it’s not true.
In fact, I know that kind of thinking often leads to doing LESS rather than more.
And when it comes to weight-loss in mid-life, more and harder isn’t always helpful.
So, I challenge my clients to come up with simple and creative ways of getting exercise in on the daily.
Here are some of the ideas that they’ve had success with:
1. The 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up Workout
Just like it says, this is just 5 minutes of movement first thing in the morning.
It can be as simple as hopping on a treadmill, jumping on a rebounder, or using a routine on an app (there are many that offer short workouts.)
I know it seems, on the surface, that 5 minutes will never be enough.
How could 5 minutes a day get you to lose weight, strengthen your muscles, and improve your health?
Because it’s every day.
And if you’re not doing any exercise right now, 5 minutes a day is infinitely better.
It will lead to results.
It will also lead to a new, easy habit… daily exercise.
And because it’s done first thing, and it’s short, it’s harder to come up with excuses.
2. The Lunch-Time Walk
I have a few clients who love this one.
Including me.
Several years ago, when I was in a corporate job, I would walk every lunch-time for 30 minutes.
In all weather.
Usually alone.
I think it’s the perfect solution, especially if you have trouble finding time before or after work.
And it gets you outside, which can completely transform your afternoons, and eliminate that 2pm dip in energy.
If you’re walking alone, you can use that time to catch up on your podcasts.
And if you’re walking with someone, it’s a great way to connect with other humans.
3. The Hourly Get-Up-and-Move
When you’re sitting all day, as many of us do, getting up regularly is important.
For both your fitness and your health.
(It’s said that sitting is the new smoking… I may have mentioned that before – at least once.)
So, during your work-day, set an alert for each hour.
When it goes off, get up and move.
For 2 to 5 minutes.
If you’ve got stairs near by, go up and down a few times.
If you can jump, alternate 30 seconds of jumping jacks with 30 seconds of walking on the spot.
If you don’t want to be make a scene, walk to the bathroom and do some high-knees in the stall.
Be creative.
And just move.
It’s all good.
4. The Supper-Prep Dance Party
Do you like to dance?
Put on some music that makes you want to move – while you’re preparing supper.
I love this idea because it does two great things…
It gets you moving AND it makes preparing supper – which so many of us dread – FUN!
And you don’t have to limit it to dancing.
You could add in some squats, some push ups against the counter, or a plank on the floor.
It’s up to you.
5. The Netflix Nine Reps
So, even if you’re not a morning person, you can still be fit.
A few of my clients are night owls, and prefer evenings to mornings for exercise.
That’s where the Netflix nine reps comes in.
It’s a simple little workout you can do between episodes of your current Netflix binge.
You can even do it in your pajamas.
It’s just 9 reps of 5 simple exercises:
Squats, Push Ups (against a wall also works), Jumping Jacks, Crunches, and (extra challenge) Burpees.
Now, of course, you can choose any 5 exercises you want.
Ideally pick exercises that will give you a little of everything like legs, upper body, core, and cardio.
It’s a simple but great way to get daily movement in (and may even help you get to bed earlier.)
How do you build daily exercise into your days?
If you’ve got a simple way to get in your daily exercise, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
And if not, you can start by trying one of the five ideas I’ve mentioned.
I know that holding it all together – career, home, family, health – is challenging, especially in mid-life.
That’s why I think it’s important to make things simple.
Go for less stress.
And be on the lookout for any “shoulds” that show up.
Like “I should be doing more,” or “I should be further along.”
Just start.
Once you’ve started, do it daily.
Create momentum, and you’ll generate motivation.
And, don’t forget to have fun.
Keep moving forward my friend,
Debbie
P.S. Need help fitting exercise into your busy life? I can help. Just book a time to talk to me or email me directly at debbie@debbieharbeccoaching.com.