Most of us know that exercise is important to a healthy lifestyle, but most Americans don’t get as much exercise as recommended. In fact, according to the CDC only 22% of Americans get the recommended amount of weekly exercise. Exercise can be a benefit to people of all ages and lifestyles. As a chiropractor, I find that my patients that begin regular exercise report less pain. Exercise has been shown to help decrease the risk for heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and many other health conditions. Exercise can come in many forms including walking, running, cycling, swimming, playing sports, and practicing yoga. So how much exercise should you aim for? The CDC recommends that everyone should get a combination of resistance exercise (2x a week) and 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. Many people have great intentions of exercising but struggle to find the time to reach the recommended amount of exercise.
How to Find Time to Exercise
Here are some tips that you may be able to incorporate into your life to help you be more active.
- One easy way to get more walking in is to start parking further away from your destination. When you get to work or go shopping, park in the back row instead of the front row. Done multiple times a week, this can add significant steps to your walking total.
- Take the stairs. If you go to a building that has an elevator, opt for the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
- Change your lunch date. If you regularly meet friends for lunch, consider meeting them at a park and taking a walk, a hike or bike ride together after eating your lunch. This would allow you to get outside in nature and increase activity while still having a chance to socialize.
- Make it family event! Try setting aside 30 minutes a day for your family to be active. Depending on your family this could include sports, walking, bicycle riding, swimming, or whatever activity your family enjoys. If you can’t agree on an activity, take turns selecting what each day’s activity is.
- Evaluate how you use your time. If find that you spend hours daily on activities such as watching TV or browsing social media, consider cutting 30 minutes of that activity, and replacing that time with physical activity.
Find What Works For You
These are just a few examples of ways to increase the amount of exercise and physical activity in your life. If you don’t think that any of these work for you, spend some time considering ways to add more movement into your lifestyle. Many people find that once they begin to exercise more it becomes habit forming. If you are struggling with health problems that prevent you from exercising or are new to exercise, please consult with your health care provider. Your health care provider may be able to provide solutions to your problems or, if needed, provide tips to alter exercises based on your specific needs. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our Sioux Falls chiropractors, please contact our office.