Do you?
- Want a more energized lifestyle?
- Need help finding time to be active?
- Want to get started with little or no expense?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then there’s a fair to good chance you would benefit from our Fit-in 15 online tool. Fifteen minutes a day can be the first step in developing healthy habits that can help you achieve your fitness goals and maintain independence as you age.
The Fit-in 15 was developed by Canada’s chiropractors, experts in muscle and joint function, and champions of healthy living. They recognize that it can be hard to find time in a busy day to focus on your fitness. That’s why they created Fit-in 15, an easy and manageable way to start the habit.
Here are some tips to help you fit-in your fifteen minutes each day
and get you started.
- Have a distraction: Research studies show that people who have a distraction are more likely to stick with a fitness activity than people who don’t. If you are fitting in your fifteen minutes indoors, listen to the radio, play music you enjoy, or work-out while watching your favourite TV program. These are all pleasurable distractions that will make your fifteen minutes fly by and add to your enjoyment of fitting in time for yourself.
- Have a buddy: Research studies also tells us that people who get active with a buddy find it easier to stay active. Invite your partner, a friend, neighbour or relative, one of your children or the family dog to join you for a 15-minute walk or workout. Make it a time to talk, laugh and connect.
- Pick a specific time of day: Decide on the best time of day to set aside time for your fifteen minutes. That way it becomes something to look forward to and you can schedule your other activities around your fifteen minutes. Keep to your scheduled time as much as possible.
- Try not to miss a day: Think of fitting in 15 minutes as a regular daily activity, like taking a shower in the morning. It can be easy to find reasons not to Fit-in 15—there are always so many other things to do. But the more you fit it in, the easier it gets until you hardly have to think about it.
- Change up your program: Keep your fifteen minutes interesting by varying your activities. Try out the different ideas on the Fit-in 15 website or create new activities of your own.
Check out fitin15.ca to build your own 15 minutes exercise routines from a menu of simple activities that target strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.
If you’re having difficulty exercising, a chiropractor can evaluate your strength and flexibility and screen for anything that may limit your physical activities. Ask your chiropractor for an evaluation.
**Reposted from the Canadian Chiropractic Association**.