30 minutes of exercise… Sounds pretty simple, right? It is the minimum requirement for us daily, and yet, somehow, it is so hard to achieve sometimes. Hopefully, we can provide you with a few ideas to help you successfully move your body for 30 minutes daily.
First off, why is exercising daily important and beneficial? #1. Our bodies were simply created for movement. They were not meant to sit for hours at a time. The human body is so complex and beautiful… It functions best when it is active--blood pressure is kept at a healthy place, sleep is often sound, metabolism is kicking, sex drive is greater, stress level is minimized, and overall sense of self-confidence/esteem is improved. Exercise just makes you feel better, and who doesn’t want to feel great?!
In regards to intentional 30 minutes worth of exercise, motivation is sometimes the biggest hurdle. Here are a few tips to help you increase your motivation:
- Grab a partner! (This is why we are recommending you choose a partner for the New Year’s Challenge. Everything is more fun with a friend!)
- Start with shorter or less intense exercises. (You can do three 10 minute walks, or you could do two 15 minute dance sessions with your child.)
- Change it up to keep boredom at bay! (Jogging is not the only form of exercise. There are many options!)
- Give yourself a realistic or fun goal. Sign up for a charity walk/run. This will motivate you to prepare!
- Buy a MyZone Band or FitBit to help keep you accountable. You can also use those tools to compete with friends!
- Schedule in your workout and prioritize it just as you would any other appointment. It is JUST AS IMPORTANT!
Our trainers are giving you a sneak peek into some of their favorite ways to get in 30 minutes worth of exercise outside of the gym:
- Wrestling and tag with my kids (Andy)
- Inviting a friend or my spouse and taking a walk… walking and talking is my favorite thing! I have a great sprint interval workout I like to do in the park, which takes about 30 min. (Katie)
- Taking my dog on a hike around the Oregon Trail and also going for an easy jog (Casey)
- Hiking with my dog (Melissa)
- Burden runs… grabbing a heavy back pack or sand bag and running a few miles. The goal is not to walk at any point, so I keep a slow, steady pace. (James)
- Lifting, squats, lunges, core (Leah)
- Dancing… I will turn on music and just free-style it. Tennis/basketball is also super fun too. (Christine)
There are so many ways you can exercise inside your house if you don’t have much time and the weather is too cold or rainy:
- Download a tabata app and do several different moves for 10 minutes; then, repeat that two more times that day. A solid 30 min tabata workout (with stretching at the beginning and end) is very doable as well. Some of the moves might be kicks, squats, planks, shuffles, knee lifts, fast feet, jacks, sit-ups, punches, etc.
- Grab your spouse or partner and do a Swing or Line Dance Tutorial on YouTube.
- Learn the Silent Ninja game and do it with your kids. If you get into it like my family does, it is a solid workout.
- Turn on jazz or classical music and unwind with some yoga or pilates moves.
- If you have stairs, do intervals (carefully).
If you are part of our New Year’s Challenge, good luck and let us know if you need any more ideas to help you succeed with this goal.
Let’s get moving and have fun while doing it!
Christine Kling