{"id":23050,"date":"2022-01-22T15:26:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-22T20:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/?p=23050"},"modified":"2022-07-07T15:24:48","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T19:24:48","slug":"exercise-snacks-boost-metabolism-burn-calories-add-essential-daily-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/fitness-training\/exercise-snacks-boost-metabolism-burn-calories-add-essential-daily-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"No Time to Work Out? Start Small \u2013 and Don’t Beat Yourself Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the millions of people who’ve seen self-care habits fall way<\/em> by the wayside in the past few years, life can feel like it’s getting more crowded every day, with few opportunities to simply catch your breath. This is particularly true for those juggling work, childcare, schooling, and daily family management all in the same environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic has taken a staggering toll on the wellness of working parents, with 56% reporting<\/a> struggles managing work and parenting, and rates of depression<\/a> and burnout<\/a> ballooning among adults worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working mothers have disproportionately shouldered that burden. Moms are burning out<\/a> in record numbers, and for them, self-care is usually the first thing that drops off the to-do list.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there’s no easy trick to juggling life in the pandemic era, a little bit of exercise can go a long way toward keeping both mental and physical health in check. As Rebecca Vlam, LCSW, of Widener University in Pennsylvania puts it<\/a>, “getting regular exercise is the most difficult, but probably the most important” factor in maintaining daily mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great news is that even a small amount of exercise<\/a> can have a big impact on your physical and mental<\/a> health.<\/strong> \u201cExercise snacks<\/a>\u201d done throughout the day may be short in duration, but they add up. Plus, they\u2019ll help build up your willpower \u201cmuscle\u201d<\/a>\u2014helping you get out of the emotional funk than can discourage you from working out, even if you do<\/em> have the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some ideas for fitting short bursts of exercise into your day without the burden of having to make the time.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Household Chores<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may seem like adding insult to injury to suggest you combine housework and<\/em> exercise, but activities like cleaning, laundry, and dishwashing actually burn significant calories<\/a>\u2014meaning, you’re already<\/em> exercising! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who truly cannot find a way to set aside a few minutes to work out, try dedicating 20 minutes every day, all at once or in snacks, to the chores you have to do anyway. Rather than slogging through them begrudgingly, if you think of housework as an activity you’re doing for your health, you’ll be more likely to lean into the calorie burn and get the added benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus burn: <\/strong>Get more exercise out of your chores with these modifications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n