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Welcome to CommonHealth’s Moving Forward with Fitness program. I’m Amy Moore, the Regional CommonHealth Coordinator in Northern Virginia.

and I’m Denise Butler, Regional CommonHealth Coordinator in Richmond.

Today we want to empower you with practical tips to help you get fit and healthy.

What’s your usual reason for not exercising?

If you’re like most of us, you just don’t think you have the time. It’s the #1 excuse out there.

Let’s be honest, all of us have busy lives and too much to do.

Finding time to be active is a challenge.

Even though we are busy, the bottom line is we need to find a way to be active because it is THAT IMPORTANT to our health.

So, let‘s ditch the excuses and commit to finding simple ways to fit more activity into our hectic lives.

It’s not about cramming more into your day; it’s about changing how you look at your day.

Let’s consider seizing the opportunity to do things a little bit differently.

How many of you spend part of your work time in meetings?

Have you ever considered taking a walk while you meet?

The walking meeting is a great opportunity to be productive and sneak in a little activity at the same time.

So, next time your boss asks you to come to his or her office why not ask…”do you want to take this outside?”

Seriously, we spend a lot of time sitting while we talk, think, and create

Imagine how a change of scenery, fresh oxygen and a better attitude might pay off for your productivity AND your health!

Another reason we use the “time excuse” is we think that we must commit to 30 minutes per day to get any real benefit from exercise.

While 30 minutes might be ideal, many of us don’t believe that we have that kind of time. Well….maybe you don’t. Does that mean you just throw in the towel and give up? No.

Fitting in 10 minutes of activity is much more realistic. For many people, fitting in activity during the morning is the way to go.

That way, even if the rest of your day is hectic, you started your day off with movement.

Perhaps you can even fit in a few more short walks throughout the day – like walking at lunchtime or walking the dog after work.

Would you consider doing some light stretching or some abdominal crunches before bed? You get the idea.

One time saver is interval training – it sounds technical but really, it’s very simple.

Using your favorite activity, push yourself to work fairly hard for about minute and then back off for a couple minutes. Repeat this a few times.

This back and forth method offers a great quick workout. An example is running for 1 minute then walking for two to three minutes.

If you think about it, isn’t this how we played as kids?

Let’s be honest, getting to the gym is tough. But, what if you looked at your den, yard, car or office as THE GYM? Consider these exercises:

Chair squats in the office

Wall push ups at the copier

Stair climbing

Pelvic tilts and glut squeeze in the car

Leg extensions while watching TV or on Facebook

Calf raises while you are on the phone, brushing your teeth or waiting in line

Lunges or hamstring stretches while raking

You are only limited by your imagination and your motivation.

Remember, this isn’t gym class. Do your thing. Think about what you like, decide you have the time, use your resources, and take control of your health.

Strive for progress, not perfection. Just get started.

Consider this your permission slip to ditch the excuses and free yourself up for something you like that also happens to be great exercise.

Now that we’ve taken those excuses away, what’s holding you back???