Set a Goal to find Random Opportunities to Exercise!

As a mother and small business owner, I understand it can be very difficult to find time to exercise. However, there are positive correlations and gains made by exercising in bouts throughout the day.

According to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports Exercise, published in 2011, researchers at Queens University (Kingston, Ontario) stated "incidental physical activity" is correlated to better cardio-respiratory fitness / health.  

Suggestions for attaining periodic bouts of activity during the day:

1) When, driving to a location, park further away from your destination -this may also help prevent dents in your doors.

2) Take the stairs

3) Include a walk into your daily routine. If you have little ones consider a proper sling, stroller, wagon, bike, scooter so they can join you. Personally my toddler loves a wagon ride, stroller ride, model car ride at least once a day, so we "do" a lot of walking in this family!

4) Dance! Turn the music up and dance! How fun for you and the kiddos and so very easy to do when cooking, cleaning....

5) If you work in a building use a restroom on a different floor and take the stairs to that restroom everyday

6) Walk when ever possible to your location

7) If you watch a daily television show, segment your routine by commercial breaks:

• First 10 minutes of show and commercials -> warm-up
•  2.5 minutes of commercials -> legs
• 5 minutes of show cardiovascular activity -> focusing on legs
• 2.5  minutes of commercial -> core training with Bella Bellies' 5 key principles to core conditioning
• 5 minutes of show -> cardiovascular activity focusing on legs
• 10 minute cool down

8) If you have little ones join a Bella Bellies baby / child friendly class like Momilates; Pilates for Mommies Class and / or a Stroller Moves Class. Create a facebook page so you can also attain a social group that will hold you responsible for meeting.

9) Exercise for 30 minutes during your lunch break with a casual - brisk walk. This will allow you an additional 30 minutes to clean-up.

10) Plan active vacations that including hiking, biking, walking...

11) Get a pedometer. This is immensely helpful in placing parameters on goals and also in goal exercise adherence.

12) Set-up interval stations and play with your kids! Set-up a hop scotch station, a "circle station" with a hoola hoop on the ground to jump in and out of, a crawling path with tents...we love this for rainy days. It is a lot of fun for the kids and parents.