Did you know that the Mayo Clinic recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per day?
Yet, as busy professionals, it can be extremely challenging to get even the minimum recommended amount of exercise.
Client meetings, tight deadlines and family obligations outside of work make it seem like there’s hardly any time or energy left to work out.
Read on for suggestions that you can use to get your heart rate up and increase your daily physical activity while staying on top of your other commitments.
We have put together a list of four easy suggestions that may make it easier to work out and help you stay motivated.
Hit the Gym Near the Office
The US has more gyms and health clubs than any other country on the planet.
As of 2019, there were 41,370 exercise facilities across the country.
That means that, on average, there are more than 827 gyms in each of the 50 states.
It is highly likely that there will be a gym within five or ten minutes of your work location. In some cases, professional office buildings may even have workout equipment onsite.
Many employers recognize that healthy employees are more productive, happier and better able to cope with the stresses of the daily grind.
Per the CDC, in 2017 more than half of all employers offered health subsidies or wellness programs to their employees.
These programs included partial or full reimbursements for gym memberships, programs to help busy professionals with weight management and obesity or assistance to stop smoking.
Some employers set aside a certain amount of money per person that he or she can use to pay fitness related expenses.
For example, a company may offer its professionals $500 each per year as a health benefit.
Its employees can use this money to pay for massages, gym memberships, fitness equipment, greens fees or other physical activities.
If your employer offers a similar program, then you could work out near the office without having to spend a significant amount of money out of your own pocket.
You may even be able to walk to a gym down the street from your building and get your warmup in before you even get to the facility.
If you have a health club directly in your office building, then you may even be able to work out during your lunch break.
Getting some physical activity during the day can help you stay energized for your busy afternoon.
A workout after work can be a great way to burn off stress and give you a break.
If you need to continue working in the evening, then you can use this time to clear your head.
You might be surprised how that problem you have been trying to solve all day suddenly comes into focus after some vigorous exercise.
Make Your Commute a Workout
On average, people spend more than 26 minutes traveling to work each day.
When you factor in the return trip home, that’s over 50 minutes day in and day out.
One way that busy professionals can get more physical activity is to make their daily commute a workout.
Maybe you live close enough to your workplace that you could walk to your building every day.
If so, then you would get more than double the recommended amount of moderate exercise every day.
Another option would be to ride a bike or a manual scooter to the office if it is too far to walk.
What’s that you say?
You live too far from your workplace and there’s absolutely no way that you could walk, ride a bike or otherwise get yourself to the office each day?
In those instances, it may make sense to look for alternative modes of transportation that involve more walking or other physical activity.
For example, instead of driving to the office, you could walk to a bus stop by your house.
This approach has several benefits.
First, you need to walk to and from the bus stop each day, which will increase your physical effort.
Second, you can avoid the stress of driving in traffic, sit back and relax while someone else drives you to work.
Alternatively, you could carpool with a colleague who lives nearby.
Instead of picking each other up at your houses, you could agree on a location that is within easy walking or biking distance for each of you.
That way, you still have an opportunity to improve your fitness while also saving money on gas, wear and tear and other costs for each of your cars.
Another possibility would be to use a park and ride to take a local train or Metrorail to the office.
Instead of taking the elevator up and down to the platforms, try taking the stairs as a quick workout.
As your fitness level improves you can do extra flights of stairs or increase your speed to heighten the challenge.
Do an Office Workout
Many busy professionals fit activity in wherever they can during the day, including working out while at the office.
You can try taking 30 seconds every 30 minutes or every hour to do bodyweight pushups.
You can even do these exercises standing or leaning on your desk.
The goal is just to get your heart rate up and get your blood flowing throughout the day.
Another workout idea for the office would be to give up the elevator.
Instead, you can take the stairs as often as possible to get some cardiovascular activity.
Similarly, take breaks throughout the day to walk around the floor of your office.
At lunch time, see if a group of coworkers would like to walk over to get food as opposed to getting delivery or driving to a local restaurant.
This option will not only give you a chance to get up and stretch, but also allow you to connect with your colleagues.
Employers are also aware of the benefits of physical activity throughout the day.
It is possible that your employer has added workstations with treadmills that you can use while taking conference calls or working on any required documents.
By the time your meeting is over you will have likely gotten at least 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity.
Other employers are offering sit-to-stand desks for their employees to use.
These desks allow you to adjust the height of your workstation so that you can stand throughout the day.
Standing for at least 15 to 30 minutes every hour can also help improve your blood flow and relieve pressure on your lower back.
Find Office Workout Buddies
Many people like the social aspects of working out at the local gym.
Lifting weights or participating in fitness classes with other fitness-focused people is extremely motivating.
These gym friends can help keep you on track and encourage you to follow your established routine.
The good news is that the other busy professionals at your workplace can do the same thing.
Find a group of people who have similar fitness goals that you do and set up a workout group.
Having other busy people who are still willing to work out can help take away the excuse that you have too much on your plate right now.
Maybe you and your colleagues want to lose weight before the summer.
Perhaps you just want to feel less tired throughout the day.
Whatever your goals, having a workout buddy can foster a bit of friendly competition and push you to achieve better results.
You and your colleagues can also vary up the activities throughout the year to keep things interesting and ensure that everyone who wants to can participate.
For instance, you could use fitness trackers to monitor your steps for the first two weeks. Then, you can set weekly step challenges or encourage each other to do more flights of stairs.
Another option would be to host a 30-day plank or push up challenge at the office.
These types of challenges can be a fun way to build your core and arm strength while you are taking a break at the office.
The more people you can get involved, the more likely you and your team will stick with the exercises even when work picks up.
You can also have these challenges serve to break up the day.
Perhaps have a lightning 30 second plank challenge after a conference call.
Instead of taking the usual 3 pm snack or coffee break do 2 or 3 sets of 10 pushups with your colleagues to get moving.
As you and your workout team build up your strength and confidence, then you can explore other exercises.
Adding some high intensity interval training (“HIIT”) before work, during lunch or at the end of the day can be a good way to clear your heads and let off some steam.
Combining intervals running in place with 15 to 30 seconds of push ups or light weight training can be an excellent approach to get your heart rate up.
In fact, timed interval exercises can burn between 300 and 600 calories in as little as 30 minutes depending upon your body weight.
If the idea of sweating with your colleagues while at the office has you a bit concerned, then consider other options that encourage wellness and a positive attitude.
Chair yoga stretching and breathing exercises can improve your flexibility and relieve stress after sitting in your chair all day.
Best of all, even older colleagues or friends with limited mobility can participate.
Final Thoughts
As busy professionals it can be hard to find the time and energy to dedicate to an extensive workout regimen.
Hopefully, the above examples have shown you ways that you can integrate more physical activity into your daily routine without adding significantly more time to your already packed schedule.
If there is a gym near your office, then perhaps you can walk there before or after work to get your warmup in before you work out.
Similarly, other small changes may allow you to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
Walk to a nearby spot for lunch or take the stairs instead of the elevator when you enter or exit the building.
Some people really need the camaraderie and accountability that comes with exercising in a group. In that case consider forming a workout team at the office.
Challenge each other to hit daily step goals or to achieve other targets.
Most of all, keep the routine fresh and interesting.
Let others encourage you to participate in yoga, HIIT or other activities that you may not have considered before.
It may take some innovative thinking at first.
Once you start, you may be amazed at how much activity you can build into your existing routine.
