How to incorporate exercise into your daily life

You set a New Year’s resolution to exercise every day. If you are new to exercising or you haven’t done it for a while, the best way to begin incorporating it into your life is to begin with small steps.

• Set your mind to the idea of moving more. Remind your body to get more movement every day by standing more or taking the stairs more often. Other ways to get more movement in are to do stretches in your chair, squat to pick something up from the floor or park farther away from the door.
• Commit to regular activity by setting a specific time each day. Schedule it in your appointment calendar and treat it like a commitment. Set a time to take a leisurely walk if exercise is new to you. Or set a time to take a fitness class, swim a few laps or join in a dance class.
• Move more. Find ways to move more in your regular daily activity.
• Find your favorite exercise. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it. To find one you’ll enjoy, think about what you played as a kid. Did you enjoy team sports? You might be more of a group or class person, so try a spin class or sign up for an adult sports league. Did you enjoy playing alone? Try running, tennis or a marathon. Rent an exercise video to experiment with different types of exercise.
• Vary your routine and activities if you get bored easily. Try cardio three days a week and strength training twice a week and yoga twice a week. Try working out in the morning part of the time and in the evening part of the time.
• Exercise at the right time of day for you. The best time to exercise is whatever works for your schedule. Mornings might be ideal if you’re a busy professional. Fit in a gym session on your lunch hour or after work if that works best for you.

Incorporating exercise into your daily lifestyle can be as simple as waking up thirty minutes earlier for a quick walk or doing stretches at your desk. No matter what type of exercise you do, look for simple ways to add more movement to your day.

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