NAWHO

Be honest, how often do you exercise?

When we think about the prospect of exercising, we usually look at it as work. Exercise is work that we do to look good and feel good and, frankly, that’s usually why we don’t always stick to it.

Because when you get right down to it, who wants to do more work when the day is done? Especially if you are one of those people who works forty hours a week.

Unfortunately, you still need to exercise – at least, if you want your body to continue to function properly as you get on in years. Exercise is very important for a number of physical and mental reasons and if you aren’t exercising now, you could pay the price later. The trick is to incorporate exercise as a seamless part of your daily routine.

Make exercise a way of life, not just time you spend working and physically exerting yourself.

Based on a new study in the Journal of Physiology, you only really need to exercise twenty minutes a day to stay fit, healthy and happy. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Commute to work via bike. Or jog or even walk – if you are close enough to your job that you don’t need to drive then consider a more active means of handling the commute. Depending on the distance and the time it takes getting to and from work every day, you could knock out that twenty-minute exercise requirement easy.

2. Use the stairs. If you work in a large office building with a lot of floors, then there are probably a lot of elevators and stairs. If your job requires you to move around the office a lot, why not just use the stairs instead of the elevator? It’s a great way to exercise in the office, clear your mind and you might even experience greater productivity as a result.

3. Go on a long walk with the dog. It’s a great way to bond with your four-legged friend and get some much needed exercise – for the both of you. You can enjoy the fresh air and the time with your dog while getting some good aerobic exercise.