10 Minutes of Activity

I remember when my children were small it was so hard to find time to work out. I dreamed of the luxury of uninterrupted time to exercise by myself, but in the real world of Mommies with small children, that rarely happens. When I found it hard to have an actual exercise time, I brainstormed ways to incorporate more activity into my hectic days.

According to the surgeon general, “Activities can be split into several short periods (e.g., 10 minutes 3 times a day) instead of one longer period (e.g., 30 minutes once a day). Surgeon General Website

If you find 30 minutes at one time unlikely to happen for you at this phase in your life, this should be good news that even 10 minute segments of activity can add up to a healthier you.

• Dance during cartoons
• Park  far from the store
• Take trips up and down the stairs
• Lose the remote

Dance during cartoons: Anytime some fun energetic music comes on the TV, get up and have a dance party with your kids. They will love the fun and spontaneity. They couldn’t care less if you have any dance talent – they’ll just enjoy the moment.

Park far from the store: If you need to go to the store (or other errands) stop trying to park close to the building. There’s more risk of getting your doors dinged and you’re not burning any calories. Instead park at the far end of the parking lot, and walk or jog to the store.  If you have a baby stroller to navigate, your baby will enjoy a little excitement and giggles. If you’re going to the grocery store, just pick up one of those carts that people notoriously leave scattered around. Put your toddler in, and breeze across that parking lot.

Take trips up and down the stairs: If you have a two story house, stop making piles of stuff on the bottom step that you need to carry up. Besides being a serious tripping hazard, you’ll burn more calories if you take multiple trips up and down the stairs. Consider it a short trip to the gym on the stair master. If your house is all on one level, you can use the same idea by not making big piles of stuff on your counters or end tables (you know what I’m talking about). Instead why not walk that item to wherever it belongs and put it away. The counter will look pristine, and you burned a few calories.

Lose the remote:  Instead of letting your fingers do the work, consider exercising the rest of you body instead. Why not get up off the couch and turn the TV on, change channels, and adjust the volume the old fashioned way?

Looking for more fitness tips? Check out Forever Fit Life