How to Exercise Despite Your Busy Schedule Finding time for exercise is tough; here's how you can do it.

By Entrepreneur Deals Edited by Jason Fell

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Alexander Redl

As a busy person, you're always looking for ways to be more efficient and more productive. There's not enough time in the day to get everything done that you'd like, which means you have to make sacrifices. Much of the time, that means exercise hits the chopping block.

That's unfortunate, because when you're missing out on exercise, you can't be your best self. Exercise is a crucial element of maintaining a healthy personal and professional life. When you exercise, oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your cardiovascular system, helping it to work more efficiently, giving you more energy to go about the rest of your day. Exercise has also been shown to cause the hippocampus to grow, improving your memory and brain functionality. The best benefit, however, is the simple reduction of stress. Aerobic exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones while stimulating endorphins to elevate your mood.

The benefits are numerous and can make a huge difference in your life. So how do you get them while maintaining your productivity?

Commuting by Bike

One of the easiest ways to get your exercise during the work day is to bike to and from work. Not only will you get the exercise you need but you can also bypass rush hour traffic while getting some much needed fresh air. Of course, remember to wear a helmet, bring a lock, and have a light on your bike for riding at night.

Taking Advantage of Your Lunch Break

You've got 30 minutes to an hour built into your workday for lunch but how long does it take to eat? After (or before) you've had your lunch, you can easily use that extra time to squeeze in a bit of low impact or high intensity training. Whether it's a little yoga, working with resistance bands, or something more aggressive like TRX suspension training.

Squeezing in a Post-Work Run

Rather than collapsing after a long day, you can give yourself a quick energy boost for the evening by taking a short run when you get home. It can be a great way to unwind with music on your arm as you run and get centered after work. If you're up to it, you can even track your progress and keep trying to improve over time.

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