Fitness Expert
Gerald Endress, MS, RCEP, has been the fitness manager at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center since 2003. He manages a team of exercise physiologists at the center and helps patients achieve their fitness goals. For the Duke Diet & Fitness Online program, he provides state-of-the-art fitness information and workout plans and responds to questions about all things fitness-related — from warm-ups to cooldowns, and everything in between.
How can I fit exercise into my busy day?
— Anita F., Celebration, FL
Answer:
Remember that you don't have to do all your exercise in one shot. You can break it up into segments throughout the day so that you accumulate the minutes toward your time goal. If you're aiming for 45 minutes of cardio exercise a day, you can do 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at lunch, and 15 minutes in the evening. That works well for many people. At the Duke Diet & Fitness Center, we recommend that people start by setting realistic fitness goals depending on their ability. Once they achieve their initial goal (say, 30 minutes a day, four days a week), we help them to keep moving forward. Much to their surprise, even people who dislike "exercise" progress to 60 minutes or more of activity a day using our realistic and doable plans! Remember that when we say "physical activity" we don't necessarily mean "formal" exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate up — whether it's a brisk walk, mowing the lawn with a push mower, or doing housework — counts as physical activity.
I find that exercise is easiest to fit in if it's planned, structured, and scheduled just like a doctor's appointment. For some people, that means setting aside the same time each day for exercise. It could be an hour; it could be 30 minutes. Many people prefer to exercise in the morning, before the demands of work, family, and daily life arise. Take whatever time you can schedule and fit as much activity as you can into that time. Every little bit counts.
An important part of becoming active is to start adding physical activities that you enjoy into your life. Instead of paying a dog walker, take the dog for a brisk walk yourself. Get to know your neighborhood or nearby parks by taking a walk or hike with friends, your children, or your significant other. The more you like the activity you choose, the more likely you are to stick with it.
The bottom line is that if you like the gym or more formal exercise, by all means include it in your fitness plan. If you don't like it, however, there are so many other ways to get activity into your life!
Gerald Endress, MS, RCEP