With these tricks, you’re never too busy to keep up a workout routine.

With everything there is to do during the day, it can be a struggle to find time to brush your teeth—let alone get in a full workout. In theory, going to the gym or taking 30 minutes to exercise sounds simple enough, but realistically, making time for it can be tough.

Skipping workouts can be tempting, but you’ll lose all of the benefits of exercise—which can really be a lifesaver this time of year. The stress relief and endorphin boost will help you navigate the season as stress-free as possible.

The good news is you can have it all. You can reap the rewards of exercising without having to spare a full 30-minute chunk of time. Just tweak your schedule slightly and you’ll be able to integrate exercise into even the busiest of schedules.

Up the Ante

Increasing the intensity of your workout is the first way to reap the benefits of exercising without devoting a full 30 minutes. If you do double the intensity of the activity, you’ll get the same benefits in half of the time. Now, it may be easier said than done—and it’s certainly something you’ll need to work up to—but when time is at a premium, your effort will be well worth it.

Divide and Conquer

Finding a spare 10 minutes here and there is much easier than blocking off a full 30-minute chunk—and you’ll get all of its rewards. According to a 2003 study published in The Physician and Sportsmedicine, you can get the same benefits from three 10-minute workouts per day as you would from doing it all at once.

You can also break it up into even smaller spurts. For example, if you did sit-ups, jumping jacks, or push-ups over the commercial breaks during your favorite hour-long T.V. drama, you’ll put in about 17 minutes of workout time—that’s over halfway there!

Opportunity Knocks

If you simply cannot find any time, looking to lifestyle activities is another way to make sure you get in the activity you need. Lifestyle activities are what you spend energy on throughout the day, like climbing stairs, cleaning the house or gardening. Although many of these activities are already in your routine, looking at them as exercise and making an effort to exert extra energy can lead to big payoffs. The January 1999 Journal of the American Medical Association has reported that overweight women who used diet and lifestyle activities alone lost similar amounts of weight as those using diet and exercise.

By remembering these strategies, you’ll be ready to tackle any exercise barriers the winter months present.

Getting Started with Lifestyle Activities

Whether you’re at home, work or out-and-about, you can always find the opportunity to sneak in some exercise. Get a jump start with these ideas, and keep looking out for new ways to squeeze in some extra activity:

• While cruising the mall, drop your purchases off at your car in between every store instead of hauling them around all day long. You’ll add in plenty of additional walking time and can even up the intensity by speed walking through the parking lot each time you go out.
• Instead of leisurely riding up the escalators, do calf stretches. Let your heels hang over the edge of the riser, push down and hold—remember not to bounce. Be sure to hang on to the railing for support.
• Play ding-dong-ditch when delivering holiday cards. Instead of mailing them to your nearby friends and family members, leave the cards on their front steps, ring the doorbell and run and hide. Your friends will get a kick out of it, and you’ll get some great physical activity. Try to group cards for people who live near one another and walk from house to house for an added workout.
• Bring a stability ball to work and sit on that instead of a chair at your desk. You’ll get a great posture boost with this easy change.
• Clean ferociously! Scrub vigorously and vacuum like you mean it. Really focus on the nooks and crannies and put in some elbow grease. You’ll burn a lot more calories than you would during your normal cleaning routine and have a spic-and-span house to boot!

What worked well for you? Share it with us by dropping an email to editor@everydayeating.com.