Always In A Hurry? Try Exercising To Restore Balance
People in today’s world are always in a hurry. There never seems to be time for anything other than work or chores. Unfortunately, it almost seems that the more we try to get ahead, the more it feels like we’re falling behind.
One way to interrupt this cycle is exercise. Don’t think of it as just another thing to add to your to-do list. Instead, think of exercising as a way to help you slow down and smell the roses.
Ironically, you will be able to actually make more time for yourself through the course of the day to get all the things you need to get done. No, you won’t be bending the laws of physics — but everything you do will get done faster and better because you’ll stress less and be more present.
So now that you understand that exercise is not something you should do, but something you must do if you want to get ahead in life (and enjoy your life, too, while you’re at it) let’s take a look at 3 ways to get more exercise without taking a huge chunk of time out of your busy week.
1. Improve your stamina
One way to get into aerobics is to get a stationary exercise bike and watch a spin class video so that you can follow a live class routine. The nice thing about aerobics is that it doesn’t take much time to break a sweat. This means, you will only spend 20, 30, or 45 minutes at it. When you first start, 20 minutes will be plenty. If you’re really out of shape, then just 10 minutes is fine.
2. Stretch your body
While most people think of stretching as a way to warm up before exercise or a way too cool down after exercise, it’s also important to designate a time for a stretching workout all by itself. This is because your body is not fully receptive to stretching before or after an aerobics or strength building workout.
Before a workout, your muscles have not been warmed up enough to stretch much; after a workout, your muscles are warmed up, but you may be too tired to do much stretching. This is why a special workout where you start slowly and increase your range of motion will help you get a good stretching routine going for you.
Why stretch at all?
The Mayo Clinic explains why it’s important:
“Stretching can help improve flexibility, and, consequently, range of motion about your joints. Better flexibility may:
- · Improve your performance in physical activities
- · Decrease your risk of injuries
- · Help your joints move through their full range of motion
- · Enable your muscles to work most effectively
Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle.”
One excellent way of incorporating stretching into your exercise routine is to do yoga, which has the added benefits of increasing strength and endurance.
3. Build your strength
Your aerobic activity and your stretching routine will contribute to your strength building, but you can also incorporate a specific strength building routine into your week. You can build strength by using bodyweight exercises, calisthenics, or weight lifting.
Create a Weekly Routine
There are many possible weekly routines you could build to create all three types of workouts.
Here’s a sample routine:
- Monday: Warm-up stretches, aerobic workout, and cool-down stretches.
- Wednesday: Stretching workout.
- Friday: Warm-up stretches, strength building workout, and cool-down stretches.
Separating aerobics from strength building exercises with a stretching routine will give you more time to recover from strenuous aerobics and strength building exercises. With this routine, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the weekends would be rest days.
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How long you workout depends on your level of fitness. Usually if you max out at 45 minutes, you’re doing fine. However, it may take time to get to that level of intensity. You can, of course, go up to an hour or longer, but if you’re a busy person, you will get plenty of benefit by staying within the 45 minute range.
If you feel you’re not getting a good workout in that time frame, then just increase the intensity of the workout.
In conclusion, besides breaking the pattern of being too busy for your own good, exercising regularly will improve your health and well-being, reduce your mental stress and emotional distress, and boost natural mood-altering neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
That we have to all appreciate the little things and to not take anything for granted.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate within yourself and/or life?
I’m blessed to have loving family and friends in my life.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? And what makes YOU most proud? Any goals and dreams that you still have?
Graduating from Arizona State University in 2013
4. We all have imperfections, so we think. The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Nobody’s perfect and it’s been hard to accept it. I’ve learned to embrace my curly hair, my curves and my quirky personality.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my unwavering intensity. Everything I do is 100 percent.
