We all know how important exercise is to staying healthy. Unfortunately, real-life dictates that staying active is more difficult than we’d like. People are living busier lifestyles than ever, and there are occupational and family obligations that keep us very busy. Sometimes exercise seems like a burden no matter how much we might want to stay active. But it’s important to remember that staying fit isn’t just about looking great or concentrating on your appearance. It comes down to solid health practices that will help you to live longer and ward off possible medical complications. It’s absolutely essential that you stay active in some way, and here are some easy tips you can incorporate to work up the occasional sweat.

Park Your Car – if you add up all the time you spend in your car commuting back and forth from work, you’ll find that the numbers are staggering. Just the amount of time you spend waiting in traffic is incredible alone. You can put that time to better use if you can’t afford to park your car and simply walk to work. This will give you an opportunity to rev up your metabolism in addition to saving money on gas. At the very least, try to find a parking space that is a bit further from your office so that you can start off your day with a nice stroll.

Take the Stairs – depending on where you work, you might not even know what it’s like to use the stairs in your building. But rather than using an escalator or the elevator, stairs give you a wonderful opportunity for a natural workout. You might even want to hit the stairs during your lunch time for a few laps up and down to give yourself a midday workout.

Play with Your Kids – kids have no problem staying active and you can learn valuable lessons from them. Better yet, this combines quality family time with a chance to stay active with your children. Whether you are running, jumping, hiding, or seeking, there are numerous ways kids love to play. Even going for a simple walk will likely lead to a lot more activity than you anticipated. Another great option is to cook with your kids so that you can teach them about healthy eating. Explore various recipes while avoiding high cholesterol foods related to fast food or junk food.

Clean the House – a great way to kill two birds with one stone is to do some chores around the house. Better yet, go for a complete overhaul and try to clean as many rooms as possible. You’ll find that vacuuming, sweeping, and getting rid of dust can actually be great calorie burning activities. And while you burn off a few calories in the process, you’ll be left with a clean house that you can be proud of. You might not burn enough to keep up with a fast weight loss program, but a bit of activity is better than nothing.

Socialize – there are plenty of ways to combine your friends time with exercise as well. For example, you might want to engage in some local team sports with your buddies. You can also sign up for a dance class or go for a yoga session with your best friend. Let’s face it, exercising by jogging or using machines can be boring. Help out your routine by turning it into a more social activity where you can meet new people. Incorporating other people that your routine helps to make exercise a lot more tolerable, and in many cases it will even be fun.

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• Diet And Exercise To Lose More Weight (dietcleanse.org)
• Exercise Variety Is The Key To Being Super Fit (freeacaiberry.org)