10 Ways Physicians Can Find the Time to Stay Fit

You hear the lament these days, not just from physicians: there is precious little time to stay fit. With everything going on competing for our time and attention, and all of our responsibilities there's not a moment to spare and little chance to get in a work out.

However, it's imperative that physicians do stay fit. They can undertake a variety of simple measures, hardly breaking their stride. How? Reverse a long standing habit.

Here are 10 ideas for finding the time to stay fit, having an enjoyable time in doing so, and thus experiencing all the benefits that staying fit provides.

1. Exercise as they exercise –If you sit down and watch football game after football game on Saturday and Sunday, while munching on whatever happens to be handy, why not reverse the calorie equation? Instead of merely watching 25 year-old millionaires run around the field while you're gaining weight, take this time to work out yourself.

2. Assemble some weights – Five to 15 pounds will do. If you hoist up, say, 10 pound weights, 100 times for a total of 1000 pounds lifted, you gain tremendous benefits. You can do this while watching football. Repeat the process after a few minutes rest and you're up to 2000 pounds. Repeat the process three more times and you've lifted 5000 pounds – more than your car weighs. You feel great the next day, have more energy, and are ready to do it again in a few days.

3. Hit the floor – While watching sports or even a movie, you can also do floor exercises. You can do squats, leg raisers, bicycles, and all kinds of stretching, all while on your back. Stretching has its benefits. When you exercise on the floor, and can look up to the TV screen the exercises and stretches don't seem so tedious.

4. Stretch for a stretch – You can stretch during any show, even during commercials. You can enhance your stretching by using a bungee cord, physical straps, or other devices. The point remains that stretching, as opposed to eating, while you watch TV is to your great benefit.

5. Go for a run – You can run in place while you watch a televised event. You can jog lightly around your living room or den. You can stay in motion for several minutes and burn some calories. This will help you feel quite limber.

6. Walk for health – Away from the television, perhaps you can take a walk in the morning before you go to work, a walk at the end of the evening when you come back from work, or a walk during lunch time.

7. Park in the far spot – As often as feasible, park further away from the entrance to the store or someplace you're visiting rather than closer. A couple of extra strolls per week from and to your car over the course of the year will make a difference.

8. Enroll today – Sign up for an exercise class at the local YMCA, health club, or gym. Once you spend money to be in class, you raise the probability that you will attend.

9. Buddy up – Related to the idea above, find a workout buddy. Find someone you know or meet at an exercise class. Scheduling your work out time together increases your chances of sticking with the program. The workout buddy could be your partner, a friend, a co-worker, or someone you just met, as long as you each keep up your end of the bargain

10. Take the flight – anytime you have the opportunity to take a flight of stairs instead of using an elevator, go for it.

All day long you have opportunities to exercise in little ways and develop healthy routines that become ingrained as habits. The great news is that you have the ability to reverse age-old behaviors and in their place adopt new ones that will help you to stay fit regardless of how hectic your schedule might be.