You wake up in the morning, down a cup of coffee and rush off to work or school, or maybe even both. After a full day of activities, it can be very difficult to find the motivation to go to the gym to work out. You’re exhausted and simply just want to relax.

I thought enrolling in an online education degree program would give me more free time and the flexibility to go to the gym, but that wasn’t the case.  I needed to find a way to stay fit that didn’t interrupt my studies. Instead of just giving up and becoming inactive, I found clever ways to sneak exercise into my day. I start by shutting off the T.V. and going to bed 20 minutes earlier so I can wake up 20 minutes earlier. By waking up earlier, I have time to run out the door and go on a quick, brisk walk before my day begins. I love how the early morning exercise wakes me up and gives me energy for the day. I also know that if I can’t fit in any more exercise throughout the day, I will have at least done those 20 minutes of exercise.

Another way I sneak exercise into my day is to incorporate hand-held weights in my study time. When I am sitting at my desk studying, I will do bicep curls as I read the screen. I do this about once or twice for every hour of studying that I do. I find that even though the exercise seems small, it really has toned up my arms.

In addition to the bicep curls, I also take a break every 20 minutes or so and do a couple lunges, squats, pushups or sit-ups. By breaking up my day with little bursts of exercise, I not only get my blood flowing after sitting for so long, but I also get the benefits of heart-healthy exercise.

Image by ★ spunkinator via Flickr

I also like to incorporate exercise into my busy day by walking instead of driving. If I need to run to the store to get something or do an errand within reasonable distance, I will walk or ride my bike. Additionally, I always take the stairs instead of the elevator, park in the furthest parking spot so I walk further and walk or ride my bike whenever I can.

While I may not be able to make it to the gym for an hour every day, I do squeeze in healthy exercise throughout the day!

How do you get in the exercise you need?  Please let us know by commenting below.

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