Did you know that the average person spends about 12 hours a day sitting? Assuming you get a full 8 hours of sleep each night, that means you spend 75% of your waking hours not moving.
Humans weren’t designed to be statues, and when we are sedentary for extended periods of time, we put our health at risk. The negative effects of sitting for too long range from general muscle weakness to increased risk of diabetes and Alzheimer's. Physical inactivity has become such a health risk today that the scientific community has started to refer to it as “sitting disease.”
So, how can you fight sitting disease? Simple. Get moving and be active! Here’s how you can incorporate daily movement into your busy lifestyle.
Take the Long Way
One of the easiest ways to sneak in a workout during the day is to take the long way to wherever you are going. When you go to the store or to work, park at the back of the parking lot so that you have to walk farther to get into the store. Never set foot inside of an elevator; instead, take the stairs everywhere you go. Don’t text your co-worker. Stand up and walk over to their desk. When possible, suggest that instead of reserving a conference room for your meeting, your team could walk around and outside of the building as you talk.
Not only will this help you start moving more with minimum effort, but you won’t have to dedicate a huge amount of time out of your day to go to a gym and do a traditional workout. You’ll also feel better and be more productive as you get up on your feet and get your blood pumping.
Schedule Your Workout
The biggest reason we hear for not working out is: “I just can’t find the time.” The truth is, you will never “find” time. You’re going to have to make it. Start by dedicating a specific time of day to exercising and then hold yourself accountable to it. Commit to that time and treat it like a work meeting or an appointment that you have to plan everything else around.
There’s real power in scheduling your workout. You’ll find yourself more committed, have more balanced workouts, and be able to track and see real progress. The key is consistency. The more consistent you are in exercising, the easier it will become. Soon it will be just another part of your routine instead of something optional that you can cancel and put off for another day.
Change Your Mindset 
Sometimes your greatest challenge to working out regularly is your own mindset. When you think about your workout for the day, are you seeing it as something that you have to do or something that you want to do? Is it just another thing to check off of the list, or something you’re looking forward to all day long?
Exercise should be fun! If you’re struggling to find ways to make time for exercise, then check your mindset. If you find yourself not wanting to exercise, then try to mix up your routine. Try a new form of exercise that you haven’t done before like yoga, aqua Zumba, or cycling. Consider signing up for a regular class so that working out becomes more of a social event. You only get to see all of your workout buddies on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Make sure that whatever form of exercise it is, it’s something you enjoy doing, otherwise, you aren’t going to do it.
Get an Exercise Machine for Your Home
Another great way to squeeze in an exercise is to remove the commute to the gym entirely and purchase an exercise machine to keep in your home. With a machine close by, you can hop on for a quick 5 minutes to get your blood flowing and do your own workouts. Pro tip: Put your machine and exercise equipment in the same room as your TV. Then anytime you are sitting and watching TV, you’ll have a visual reminder to move while you watch.
If you’re considering buying an exercise machine, we highly recommend Aeroski. It’s light-weight so you’ll be able to move it easily and stored away when not in use so that it takes up less space. If you’re an avid skier, Aeroski offers great ski prep workouts from home to help keep you in shape during the offseason.
You don’t have to be a skier to reap the many benefits of a ski machine. Anyone of any fitness level can enjoy Aeroski’s low-impact exercises that are easier on your joints. Ski conditioning workouts are also more efficient at burning calories than running on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike. Plus, you’ll have unlimited streaming access to our instructor-led videos for engaging ski workouts at home.
Don’t put off any more workouts. Avoid sitting disease and order your Aeroski today!