When your week gets busy with tests and projects, sometimes health and fitness are the last things on your mind. Running laps around the track at the Student Recreation Complex doesn’t really appeal to many people after a trying week — usually, Netflix and lying in bed take the cake. If you beat yourself up for choosing television and sleep as a mechanism to unwind instead of a good ab circuit, don’t fret. Here’s a road map to working out without even realizing it.
####Work out while doing everyday tasks
Who would have thought that brushing your teeth could be turned into a glutes, calves and quads exercise? Next time you grab that toothbrush, find an empty spot on your bathroom wall and saddle up — you’re about to do a 45-second wall sit. Hopefully, everyone reading this is hygienic and brushes their teeth twice a day. If that’s the case, you are doing 90 seconds more exercise every day than you have previously been doing. This exercise also ensures that you are giving your teeth a quality brush.
Sometimes the guilt of watching TV over doing homework or studying can be a big problem. Little did you know that you could make being a couch potato into a workout. Next time you are watching _The Office_, do 25 crunches whenever Michael says “That’s what she said.” Add in some cardio by doing 15 jumping jacks whenever a character stares directly at the camera. Work on those muscles by doing 10 push-ups whenever Jim pranks Dwight.
####If given the option, always chose the stairs over the elevator
Walking up flights of stairs leaves you rosy-faced and out of breath, but making the walk a part of your daily routine will give you some nice gams. For anyone who has ever been on a Stair Stepper machine, it is torture — by the end of 10 minutes you are dripping in sweat, and your legs are quaking. Taking the stairs for every floor you go up throughout the day provides an easy alternative for those intimidated by the daunting machine. Besides, people always say to live life more authentically, so start authentically climbing stairs.
Don’t just climb the stairs, but actually open the doors to get into buildings rather than merely waving your hand past the handicap sensor, unless you need it, of course. The doors at MU are surprisingly heavy, and you have to open a lot of doors throughout the day. This is the easiest way to work in a light arm workout. From my experience, the more doors I open the easier it becomes, which means I have to be gaining some sort of muscle.
####Resort to any means in order to get the job done
If you hate working out but love food, combine the two activities. When doing sit-ups, put a box of Cheez-Its, or whatever snack you prefer, between your legs and snag a delicious, orange square every time you come up. I am honestly not sure how counterproductive eating while working out is, but I’m sure you burn a few extra calories by chomping on your chosen snack — just make sure it’s small and easy to chew so no choking occurs.
Hopefully, this guide will help you dip your toes into working out. And if you already work out, these are just some added ways to continue to live a healthy lifestyle (maybe not the Cheez-Its, but you can’t win them all). These workouts are easy enough to lace throughout your everyday life without breaking too much of a sweat. Even the laziest of people have no excuse to not do them.
