10 Minutes to Better Health

Written by Kelli Snow Preston

This article is courtesy of HomeLife.

Exercise is essential to good health. Yet most Americans, especially women, don't come close to getting the 30 minutes of daily physical activity that health experts recommend. Why? Lack of time is the No. 1 reason.
 
Good news: There are many ways to reap the benefits of exercise without giving your day to it. So lace up your shoes and get moving.

Just Do Something
"Something is better than nothing; more is better than something" is the motto of Ruth Ann Carpenter of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, a center for studying the relationship between living habits and health. According to Carpenter, numerous scientific studies show that exercising for 10 minutes, three times a day — versus 30 minutes at one time — has many of the same health benefits if the workout intensity is the same.

Performed regularly, these stints of physical activity provide numerous benefits to our body, mind, and spirit, including:

• a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and various types of cancer
• lowered weight
• improved ability to manage stress
• improved sleep
• increased adherence to exercise.

Still unmotivated? Try a new perspective. "The key," says Carpenter, "is thinking about being active several times per day — the way you think about eating."

Practice thinking about exercising as often as you do about eating. "Making physical activity more prominent in a person's mind is when healthy changes begin to occur," Carpenter says.

Next step: Don't just think — do. If you eat at least three times a day, why not determine to exercise for the same amount of time?

Get Started
Need some non-gym suggestions for how to get in 10 minutes of exercise three times a day? We've got 11 ideas for you to try:

1. Slow abdominal crunches. Lie on the floor with your heels on a chair, and form a 90-degree angle with your legs. Cradle your head with your hands (don't pull on your head when you lift). Use your abdominal muscles to slowly raise your shoulder blades off the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
2. Take a walk. Try it in the morning before work or before getting the kids to school, at your lunch break, and after dinner. Include family when you can — it's great exercise and a perfect time to talk about the day.
3. Take the stairs. Climb the stairs several times in your home or at the office. Forgo the elevator or escalator and use the stairs at the mall, the airport, office, church, and elsewhere.
4. Don't sit on the sidelines. While your children are at sports practice, don't just sit there … move! Take a brisk walk around the field while they're staying active.
5. Take advantage of the seasons. Shovel snow in the winter, rake leaves in the fall, pull weeds in the spring, and swim laps in the summer.
6. Walk while you talk. Don't sit while talking on the phone. Walk around your house or your block and climb the stairs as you converse.
7. Save gas and move. Walk or jog to the corner store, park farther away from the mall or the office, and get off the subway or bus a few stops early and walk to your destination.
8. Clean house. Mopping, vacuuming, sweeping, and other household chores can be a workout when done with vigor.
9. Get into the groove. Turn on some music, gather the kids, and have a dance party. 
10. Do a TV tone-up. Do jumping jacks on commercial breaks of an hour-long episode. For 30-minute sitcoms, do leg lifts for the first two segments of the show.
11. Walk while you wait. Ask the receptionist how long you'll have to wait for a doctor appointment. If time allows, take a walk around the building instead of just sitting and waiting.

Believe it or not, you do have time to exercise. Just 10 minutes of activity at a time will get your heart pumping and your muscles working. And better health is bound to result.

Kelly Snow Preston is a consultant for health promotion and health ministry initiatives for various companies in Lebanon, Ohio.