In today’s fast-paced world, women struggle to fit all of their activities into a single day. As a result, some healthy lifestyle requirements, such as physical activity, are being neglected.
Here are some exercise habits you should develop to help you sneak in some exercise during the day.
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Why women should exercise
Exercise is without a doubt one of the most fundamental requirements for a healthy lifestyle, along with rest and healthy eating.
But apart from exercising for weight loss and to look better, it is important for women to exercise for a better quality of life.
Additionally, exercise has a wide range of health benefits, which are amplified in women due to their unique combination of hormones and health risks. That is, exercise significantly improves the multitude of health issues that women face.
As a result, health practitioners advocate developing exercise habits from childhood and continuing throughout one’s life.
Benefits of simple exercise
Indeed, incorporating simple exercise habits into your daily life will go a long way in improving your physical and mental health. The advantages of moderate physical activity, include the following, among others:
- Helps manage the effects of hormones on your mood,
- Helps to keep bones strong and to prevent osteoporosis,
- Provides better sleep,
- Improves your energy,
- Lowers your blood pressure,
- Reduces the risk of heart attack,
- Lowers your blood cholesterol level,
- Reduces risk of diabetes,
- Improves your mental health,
- Improves your social connection and interaction.
Simple exercise habits
A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day, according to health professionals, is required for physical health. And lowering the risk of sedentary-related health problems.
Begin by incorporating a few minutes of physical activity into your day. Then gradually increase to the required number of minutes of exercise.
The following are some simple habits you can start today to meet your body’s need for moderate exercise:
Take the stairs
When there is an opportunity for you to take the stairs, take it. Certainly, taking the stairs count as physical activity, and a moderate one at that.
Without realizing it, you may even meet the required 30 minutes of physical activity if you take the stairs several times a day.
In addition, developing the habit of taking the stairs will provide additional benefits such as:
- Increased heart rate, allowing the body to move oxygen and blood to the muscles more efficiently.
- Strengthens muscles and increases joint flexibility.
- Calorie burn.
- Stress relief. And
- Convenient. Because you don’t have to go to the gym to get your daily dose of exercise.
Regular body movement
You can also meet your physical activity requirement by simply moving your body away from the couch or your workstation.
You can do this by incorporating brief periods of physical activity. If at work, you can schedule a few minutes per hour to get away from your desk.
For example, take a few minutes to get water to drink or walk around your office for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can stand up and stretch for a few minutes at your workstation.
At home, doing some household chores also counts as physical activity. Definitely, any activity that requires you to get off the couch counts.
These activities include:
- Vacuuming,
- Cleaning the house,
- Decluttering,
- Doing the laundry,
- Putting things back in their proper place, and so on.
Make it fun
One deterrent to dOne deterrent to doing exercise on a regular basis is that it quickly becomes boring. Furthermore, for those who dislike exercise, such as myself, physical activities can become tedious.
So, the best way to keep the exercise habit going is to make it enjoyable. You might want to alternate doing physical activities that interest you.
For example, if you enjoy walking, yoga, dance exercises, and the like, you can schedule them on an alternate basis in your calendar. This way, you’ll be able to avoid becoming bored with just one exercise routine.
Exercise with a friend
Alternatively, you can also do some exercise activities with a friend.
For example, you may want to schedule a regular walking activity around your neighborhood with a friend or a neighbor.
The benefit you get from doing an activity with another person is that:
- You will improve your relationship with each other,
- It can be an excellent way to expand your network,
- It helps with motivation,
- You will have an accountability buddy,
- You get to try new activities and alternate interesting activities to do,
- Achievements are better shared with a partner.
Block schedule your exercise
To make a habit stick, it helps to do the activity at the same time every day. This makes it easier to get into a routine.
Similarly, for your exercise, you should schedule it at the same time every day.
Split the time
If you cannot schedule a whole 30-minute time block on your calendar, you can split these into 3 10-minute sessions.
Look for the best times to incorporate exercise activities into your day. For instance, a few minutes before you begin your workday, a few minutes during your lunch break. And a final session right after you get home from work.
Keep it simple
Another tip to make a habit stick is to keep it simple. Thus, for your exercise, you should keep things as simple as possible. The less friction you encounter in an activity, the more likely you will continue to do it.
For example, if your workout is at 6:30 a.m. every day, you can prepare your workout clothes the night before. And put them somewhere you’ll see them first thing in the morning.
How to stick to an exercise
Maintaining an exercise routine takes time, effort, and, of course, dedication. So, to make getting into an exercise routine a little less intimidating, here are a few pointers:
Take your time
Regular exercise will not improve your physical or mental health overnight. It will take some time. Especially if you come from a completely sedentary lifestyle.
The important thing to remember is that any physical activity is preferable to none.
So, take your time. Don’t rush things; instead, enjoy the process of exercising and anticipate how it will improve the quality of your life.
Start small
As a beginner, do not overextend yourself by doing a 2-hour exercise session. If you do it this way, you will most likely fail on your first attempt.
When starting an exercise habit, you should start small. Begin with the smallest increment you can manage. You could begin with a 5-minute stretching session. A few minutes of walking in place. Alternatively, walking one flight of stairs should suffice.
The goal is to keep your body from activating the fight or flight response. Which causes you to resist a new activity because it is difficult.
Reward yourself
Rewarding yourself after a good exercise session encourages you to continue with the activity because it gives you a good feeling.
Although the overall benefits of exercise are rewarding in and of themselves, these benefits are not immediate.
Therefore, having a simple reward system in place to make you feel good after doing an exercise is a good idea.
This will allow you to continue with your exercise routine and, eventually, make the habit stick.
Track your progress
Another way for you to feel good with your exercise habit is to track your progress.
One way you can track your progress is through journaling. Keep a record of your daily activities. Your schedule, the intensity of your workout. How you felt after, and so on.
Looking at how you progress from a couch potato to an exercise buff will surely be rewarding.
Summary
To summarize, exercise is one of the most fundamental requirements for living a healthy lifestyle. However, women find it difficult to make time for exercise in today’s fast-paced world.
In order for women to meet the daily physical activity requirements for good health. It is important to develop simple exercise habits such as the following:
- Take the stairs,
- Regular body movement,
- Make it fun,
- Exercise with a friend,
- Block schedule your exercise activity, or
- Split the time, and to
- Keep it simple.
To make a habit stick it is also important to note that you should take your time. Also, to start small.
In addition, have a reward system in place to make it easier and more enjoyable to keep the habit going.
Finally, keep track of your progress. So you can see how you transition from a sedentary to an active lifestyle.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about What Are Simple Exercise Habits Women Should Develop Today in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down
The Best Inspirational Quotes To Love Yourself
Simple Tips On How To Develop A Good Decision-Making Habit
How To Set Up Good Habits (Instead Of Goals)
Your Simple Habits For Productivity
Outside reference/s:
Gender Differences in Exercise Habits and Quality of Life Reports: Assessing the Moderating Effects of Reasons for Exercise
Health Benefits of Exercise for Women
Physical activity – it’s important
