Be a Fitness Sneak

Reap the benefits of short bursts of activity
Published October 15, 2019

Between the demands of work, family and social obligations — life, in other words — does exercise often fall off your “to-do” list? Maybe you’re not able to wedge an hour-long bike ride or kickboxing class into your schedule, but you probably can find 10 minutes throughout your day to sneak in a round of push-ups or a brisk walk. These 'mini-workouts' can actually pay off big! In fact, you can reap some of the same health benefits from 10 minutes of aerobic exercise that you could from longer, sweatier stints — which include stronger muscles, better mood, and lower blood pressure — which can ultimately play into weight loss and help stave off health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Got 10 minutes?
The more mini-workouts you can shoehorn in the better: To have a truly healthy and fit body and maintain your weight loss, being active throughout your day is key. The trick is to build exercise into activities you do every day. Need some inspiration? Try these fast moves:

Making dinner... Turn on the stereo or grab your smartphone to queue up a favourite playlist and dance, dance, dance!

Buying groceries... If you have canned items in your cart, do a few arm curls while in line. Have fewer than six bags? If it’s not too much of a strain, carry them to the car.

Gassing up the car... Alternate calf raises with forward lunges while you’re filling the tank.

Watching TV... Work your core by doing a series of planks or crunches during commercials.

Working at the office... Set your calendar to give you hourly reminders to get up and take a walk or do quick exercises like chair dips, squats or stretches.