Woman&Home reader, Brenda Phephetti, 30, is a sales executive who really struggles to fit in a daily workout into her busy schedule. We asked you to share your top tips for finding time to exercise, because believe it or not, there’s mounting evidence to support the theory that short bouts of exercise everyday are beneficial for the mind and body – and it’s not a waste of time.
In fact, a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychologia shows that A 10-minute session of aerobics can boost cognitive performance and sharpen your mind. This means you don’t need to exercise for hours at a time to reap the rewards.
ALSO SEE: 6 exercise ideas to make you stronger
Here are our top 5 favourite ways to fit in that workout:
Break up your workout sessions
Rather than trying to fit in an hour in the morning or evening, try complete two 30-minute sessions whenever you get the chance. Not only will this ensure you fit in exercise, you’ll also have more energy to complete each session. Delia Reddy
Make exercise a part of your daily routine
Set a good example in your home and make exercise a priority. If you have children, try to get them involved too. Walk them to school and back every day if you live close enough, or walk briskly to the shopping mall a few times a week rather than taking the car. Hamila Shaik
Just do it!
Even if you’re a busy mom with children, there’s always some time in the day to fit in some exercise, such as in the evenings before bed. Good exercises for the evening include light weight training, abdominal exercises and some calming yoga or Pilates. Margaret Florence Coetzee
Every bit counts
You don’t always have to fit in a formal exercise session into your day. Include some activity in your daily chores. For example, do squats or lunges while holding the washing basket, run up and down the steps a few times before going indoors, park further away from the shopping mall entrance. All these short bouts of activity add up. Lolly Ludlow
ALSO SEE: Our top anti-ageing exercises
Don’t be a couch potato
Use the ad breaks in your favourite TV series to perform some quick squats, lunges or crunches. You could even make it a competition with the rest of the family to see how many sets you can do in five or 10 minutes. This is a great way to squeeze in some exercise and get the whole family involved. Jennifer Louise Stokes
Exercise at home
Nowadays you don’t need to step foot in the gym to get a good training session in. Online group workouts are taking the fitness world by storm, and for good reason. They’re convenient, quick (no driving to the gym) and they deliver results fast. Plus, they’re fun and easy to change up. I wake up at 5am everyday and get my workout done before the household wakes up… sometimes in my pj’s! Joanne Wood
Some of our favourite online workouts include;
- Fitness Blender – for weight training, circuit-style cardio, Pilates and yoga
- Pop Sugar Fitness – for high intensity classes
- Pilates.ology – for low impact Pilates workouts
