Shopping is not aerobic!

Here’s how to make time for exercise…

by Debbi Lawrence

In a world of inflation, exercise is not exempt. It is truly expensive to exercise. I’m not talking about the high price of club memberships, the shocking sticker price of athletic shoes or the soaring fees for a round of golf. I’m speaking of the cost of time. With so much to do in a fast paced world, it seems that time is shrinking. Our plates are full, and not only at the dinner table!

The good news is that the cost of exercise decreases as the value of exercise and its tools increases. Healthy cells, attitude, longevity, and vitality are direct benefits of aerobic fitness. It becomes easy to add extra tasks to an already full schedule when we value and enjoy them. Keep in mind time is constant, so we are really only exchanging tasks. By placing maximum value on exercise, it becomes easy to replace less beneficial activities.

During the holiday season, time is even more limited, yet, don’t we find extra time for those parties, increased baking and other events? We have placed a value on holiday duties and an enjoyment in its festivities. Enjoyable tasks release endorphins. But, these enjoyable tasks are not aerobic — that is, contributing to cardiovascular and muscular health.

Aerobic exercise releases endorphins and contributes to health. You get immediate and long range benefits from aerobic exercise. We immediately become happy in the midst of chaos and we see changes in our body size, breathing and health over time. It makes sense to neutralize holiday stress with aerobic exercise. Yet, even when we believe the value, enjoy that endorphin rush and want those long term benefits of health, the reality still is—time.

One solution is to organize your schedule efficiently to take full advantage of the time in one day. Combine tasks like baking healthy holiday cookies (with AIM RediBeets^® and AIM BarleyLife^® frosting) with rebounding during the baking time. Add a few sit-ups during the final browning minutes. Run up and down the stairs three times after each gift is wrapped or during the commercials of a holiday special on television. Try treadmill walking while the AIM CranVerry^® bread is baking.

Exercise IS worth its cost. Place the highest value on it and you will be rewarded for life. Maintain your exercise routine throughout the holidays and you will roll into the New Year with vitality. An established fitness habit is the greatest holiday gift that you can give to yourself.

Remember, shopping is not aerobic!

Copyright © AIM International, Inc. Used with permission.