Getting Physical in Daily Activites
Many of us feel we just don't have the time for an exercise plan in our daily lives...but it is very important to try to incorporate exercise into each day...
We just find ways to put a little more "oomph" behind the things we do as we go about our daily routines:

Get out and Take a walk.
Walking is wonderful exercise for people who want to lose weight.

Why not Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
If you're out of shape, start by walking down. When you feel ready, walk up part way, and work up to climbing all the way. When climbing stairs no longer leaves you winded, climb a little faster.

Park a few blocks farther away.
Walk the extra distance to work, the mall, the moves, church, or friends' homes. As you gain stamina, park even farther away and/or walk more briskly.

Go for a walk before lunch.
In addition to getting exercise, you may find you eat less for lunch and suffer less from mid-afternoon blahs.

Stash a pair of walking shoes at work.
Slip them on for walks at lunch and on breaks.

Invest in a backpack.
Instead of driving to all your errands, walk as much as possible, and use your backpack for purchases.

Cancel "food dates."
Instead of meeting friends for lunch, coffee, or dessert, make dates to take walks, go dancing, or go for bike rides. Or make a date to visit a health club. Most clubs allow free one-time visits to check out the facility. Try several.

Walk your dog.
If you don't have one, consider getting one. Dogs are great exercise companions.

Make breaks count.
During breaks at work or television commercials, get up and stretch or walk around. Organize your coworkers and housemates to join you.

Don't automatically use the phone or intercom at work. Walk to neighbors' homes or coworkers' desks.

Make the most of phone time.
Don't sit while talking on the phone, pace. Invest in a longer handset cord so you can walk farther, or get a cordless phone. If you must stand in one spot, march in place, raising your knees up high. Or rise to tip-toes. Do this five times, then do five deep-knee bends. When you feel ready, do 10. Or keep a small three-pound weight or a canned food item, and do some weight-training curls and presses. Curls: With your arm straight, hold your weight down by your hip. Then bend your elbow and bring the weight up to your shoulder. Presses: With your arm in the curled position, straighten it over your head. Do five of each. When you feel ready, do 10.

Make the most of microwave minutes.
Don't just stand there watching the clock tick away the seconds. Pace, stretch, or do some weight-lifting.

Put more energy into housework.
Washing floors, taking out the trash, vigorous sweeping and vacuuming, and other chores provide more exercise than most people think. If you step up the pace a bit, you'll get finished faster and you'll get more exercise as well.

Make the most of unpacking groceries.
Curl and press cans a few times. When you feel ready, try it with six-packs.

Don't automatically reach for the food processor.
When time permits, cut, chop, and dice vegetables by hand.

Wash and iron your own clothes.
Take the money you save on laundering, and spend it on something active, like bowling or a dance class.

Clean out your attic, basement, or garage.
They probably need it, and all that lifting and carrying is good exercise.

Mow the lawn.
Pushing a power mower provides surprisingly good exercise. Or for a somewhat more strenuous workout, retire your power mower and invest in a push model.

Tend a garden.
Gardening is surprisingly good exercise. Digging, weeding, raking, cutting, and hauling build strength, flexibility, and stamina.

Sweep some snow.
Unless you're in reasonably good shape, stick to small accumulations of dry, powdery snow, the kind that can be swept with a broom. Snow shoveling can be very strenuous, and every winter people suffer heart attacks from overexertion. If you're out of shape, or significantly overweight, or have heart disease, or significant risk factors for heart disease (a family history, smoking, diabetes, elevated blood pressure or cholesterol) don't shovel heavy wet snow or major accumulations.

For parents and grandparents:

Walk the baby.
Infants love motion. Put the little one in a backpack or stroller and take a walk.

Weight train with the baby.
Press the youngster over your head once or twice. When you feel ready, increase the number.

Push the child.
Kids love swings and merry-go-rounds. Pushing them provides great arm exercise.

Join in older children's games.
Play tag. Go roller skating. Jump rope. Climb a play structure. Take a swim, or bike ride, or a rowboat outing on a lake. You'll have so much fun, you won't notice you're exercising.