Modern Women Find Fitness
Posted on July 22, 2010 by GuestPost
Categories: Lifehacks,Techniques
This is a guest post by Danielle Bullen, of Medical Coding Certification. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
We all know how important it is to get our 30 minutes of exercise a day. Besides the obvious physical perks, more and more research is pointing to the mental benefits of physical activity. And a happy mind is a more productive mind.
Mental Benefits
A California State University at Long Beach study shows, the more steps a person takes in a day, the better their mood is. All the more reason to invest in a pedometer.
The Franklin Institute reports that regular exercisers show improvement in their abilities to plan, organize, and juggle multiple tasks at the same time, versus non-exercisers. Better multi-tasking? Sign me up.
The institute also reports that running has been shown to actually grow new brain cells!
But, knowing and doing are two different things, especially for busy, modern women. However, there are some easy ways to squeeze physical activity into your daily routine.
At the Office
Use your lunch break to take a walk. Find a buddy, change your shoes, and head outside. Even a quick 15-minute jaunt through the neighborhood does wonders for both body and mind. It’s easy to get stir-crazy cramped in a cubicle all day. Fresh air and a change of scenery will make your afternoon much more productive. And when you return, take the stairs, not the elevator!
Running Errands
Park as far away as possible. The walk through the parking lot is good for your heart.
And test your muscles with how heavy you can pack those grocery bags (without tearing them of course). Give your arms a workout!
At Home
Make your chores work for you. Cleaning may be a drag, but at least there are some cardio benefits. According to the American Cancer Society, a 150-lb person burns 150 calories per hour vacuuming. Some other stats to motivate you to break out the dust rag:
- Gardening burns 324 calories per hour
- Light cleaning burns 240 calories per hour
On the Weekends
Running around after kids is hard work! Playing actively is good for both them and your heart. No kids of your own? Baby-sit your friends’ children or nieces and nephews.
Grab your significant other or some of your best girlfriends and go dancing. You’ll be having so much fun you won’t realize that you’re burning calories.
So what are you waiting for? A lower risk of cancer and heart disease, a better figure, improved mental capabilities, a chance to bond with friends and loved ones, can all be yours. All you have to do are activities that are already a part of your daily routine.
Danielle Bullen is a content writer for Online Nursing Schools who gives advice on the pursuit of education and living a healthy life. In her free time she enjoys yoga, Zumba, reading, and baseball.
Photo by Kamal H.
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