One of the infamous excuses people make for not exercising is, "I just don’t have the time." All of us have things going on in our lives and there seems to always be something on our To Do list. Well, squeeze one more task on there: Exercise for 30 minutes daily. There are 1,440 minutes in a day, so devote 30 of those minutes to helping your body be fit and healthy! By doing so you’ll increase your heart rate, burn unwanted calories, strengthen your muscles, and energize your body and mind. Here are a variety of some of our favorite workouts that you can do in just 30 minutes.
Go out for a 30 minute walk or run
Set 30 minutes of your day aside to enjoy a fresh walk or jog outside. Breathe in the fresh air after a day of work or for some weekend relaxation. Invite a friend or family member to walk or jog along with you as a motivator or just to have some company. Speaking of friends, taking the dog out for a walk or run is a great way for the both of you to get your 30 minutes of exercise in (they make great exercise companions)!
Spend 30 minutes on a variety of exercises
Sometimes people can get bored doing one exercise for 30 minutes. If this is the case, try giving yourself some variety. Do a 10-15 minute set of cardio, five minutes of weight lifting, 10 minutes of core exercises, and finish with a five minute stretch routine. Having a variety of fitness activities will keep your interest level up and will work out more parts of your body. Experiment with different routines to find which works best for you.
Exercise while watching TV
If you have that one TV show that is also on your To Do list, use that time to kill two birds with one stone. Rather than being a couch potato for those 30-60 minutes of your favorite sitcom keep your body moving while you watch TV! Walk or run a mile or two on the treadmill while you watch TV. If you don’t have an exercise machine of any kind, just spend 2-5 minutes doing an assortment of great exercises that don’t require any machinery. Lunges, walking or jogging in place, lifting weights, jumping jacks, and 10 simple leg exercises for good circulation are a few of our recommendations. Bonus: Because you’ll be too busy exercising while you watch your TV show, you’ll forget about your urge to snack.
Do some household chores
Yes, you read correctly. There are lots of household chores you can do that, believe it or not, are a great form of exercise. Whether it's washing your car or vacuuming all of the carpets, doing chores around the house is a productive way to break a sweat and get your heart rate going. Heck, get the whole family involved; it’ll give everyone great exercise and your house will be looking that much more spotless.
Take a fitness class
There are several fitness classes available at most gyms and community centers. Yoga, dance, or any fitness class can be a nice change up from your typical workout. You’ll learn a variety of new exercises and probably even learn how to improve your current workouts.
Workout videos or games
Exercising to a fitness video or game is another great alternative to changing up your typical workout. Whether you're just beginning or at an advanced level, you can find fitness videos for many different levels of experience. There are also options available that may suit individuals looking for something a bit more entertaining. Try working out with a fitness game. Oftentimes, games such as Wii Fit allow you to keep a calorie count according to their workout that you choose or to keep track of your performance progress. You may also consider trying out different apps to use as encouragement for healthy habits, a calorie counter, or a diet log.
As you can see, there are several ways to squeeze 30 minutes of exercise into your day. Keep yourself motivated and switch up your workouts once in a while with any of the options above. There are bound to be days that you will be so caught up with busy work that you really may not have time to put in the 30 minutes. If you won't have the 30 minutes to spare on a certain day, take the extra mile to do what you can to get in a few minutes of fitness. On these particular days (and any day for that matter) kick your daily activities up a notch. Take the stairs rather than the elevator or park your car further to get in those extra steps.
Fitting in 30 minutes of exercise into your day is just a small fraction of the day, so be sure to make the time and to make it count. Don't fall behind because you’re too "busy". A simple 30 minutes of exercise will be a relaxation time for you and you’ll see that you feel more healthy and energized throughout the day.