Not having enough time to exercise is one of the top reasons people give up on their New Year's resolution to get in better shape. Danielle Johnson, a wellness physical therapist with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, has a solution that can not only help get a workout in during a busy workday, but can also make people more productive at work.
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Johnson says she hears all the time from people who say they simply don't have enough time to get a workout in during the week because of their busy work schedule. She says people have to remember that every bit of physical activity counts, and not having a lot of time should not be seen as an obstacle.
"You don't necessarily have to always get to the gym," she says.
Johnson has developed an exercise program she says not only helps people get their exercise in during a busy day, but can also make them more productive at work.
She calls it the "fab 5."
"It's kind of five simple exercises that you can do in the office to really help reinvigorate yourself," Johnson says. "You know a lot of studies have shown us that once we get up and move and we're active, we're more productive."
She says it can take as few as five minutes to do chair squats, lunges, desk pushups, chair pushups and toe raises. She says not only does it count as a muscle-toning workout, but it can also be the key to getting the blood flowing to overcome the midday lull at work.
"It's very simple," Johnson says. "You don't have to get on the floor even. So very simple to do in a very small area. And those things can be really a wonderful thing in just re-energizing you."