5 Exercise Tips for Really Busy People

We use to park our cars and walk into the office, grocery store, or Target (oh how I miss the $300 benders). Now we barely walk from the home office chair to the car! Necessities & shoe splurges are delivered, food is curbside or on doorstep, and the office - well, the corporate office is basically extinct. 

So this just leaves a sedentary society to become MORE SEDENTARY - ugh! 

I get it though, you’re busier than ever and your job title grew from working mom to - Teacher, Doctor, Referee, and IT rep.

You’re exhausted and fitting in time to exercise isn’t on your 87 item “to-do” list. But movement is key to surviving the “Year of Brain Pain.” Movement causes your blood to bring oxygen to our organs, to build muscle and to strengthen the heart and lungs. Researchers are also finding exercise improves the healthy microbes in the gut and helps to carry toxins out of the body - with all those wine bottles and Claw cans I’m seeing in the recycle bins, I know we need it! HA!

Here are six great ways to sneak exercise into your daily routine. Each tip is tested for sustainability and will make exercise a lot more fun than those one-size-fits-all routines you’ve probably tried in the past.

1. Rethink your seating. Switch out your kitchen chair or office stool with a standing desk or an exercise ball. The standing desk helps exercise your leg muscles than just sitting passively. The exercise ball forces your core muscles to activate without doing a crunch! Who knew prepping for Spring Break would be this easy :) 
   1. Here’s the standing desk I order -> Desk  
   2. Or look at this exercise chair ball -> 6 pack abs
2. Walk & Talk. If you’re like me and in conference calls most of your day, try “Walk & Talks.” The phrase I coined after I started twitching from not moving so long. I asked a coworker if he wouldn’t mind taking our 1:1 meeting on the road, walking that is. He loved the idea! There’s really no excuses, you even have the ability to voice text notes in your phone. You’ll end up burning calories, reducing stress and improving productivity. 
3. Do what you love. Love watching Dancing With The Stars? Blast the music. Love hiking? Take your kids on a science outing. Love biking? Ride to your favorite lunch spot. Love snow? Go sledding - climbing back up is a great booty workout! Building upon what you already love is less painful than putting on workout clothes at 5am.
4. Don’t punish yourself for low activity. The body adapts to activity levels, but it also loves resting. Even if you stretch during your favorite reality TV commercial breaks, it helps to keep your body from growing sedentary. You’ll never regret exercising, even if it feels like “not enough.”
5. Join a Group or Challenge. Challenges push you to move when your brain doesn’t want to move. Groups (friends or acquaintances) motivate you when the day has been a struggle. Either way, this could be exactly what you need to start your adventure. Looking for a group? Join mine here -> MOVE

Food regulates metabolism and creates building blocks for healthy hormones. Don’t cheat yourself by consuming crap. Eat well, live well, and follow your gut. 

Be Gutsy as a Mother,

-Mary

PS: In need of a nutrient boost?  Sign up for my 5-day gut health challenge where you will discover your gut has a mind of its own! learn more here-> REVIVE