By Laurie Sweig

The biggest challenge for many people isremembering to exercise. Actually the biggest challenge is wanting toexercise. Perhaps we’ll take this one challenge at a time so we’ll focus on the remembering part.

One day a friend presented me with a bit of wisdom. She said stop using the words “just even or only” whentalking about exercise. As an example I may have said to her “I wentfor a bike ride the other day but I only did 20 kilometres.” There aretwo parts to using “only” in that statement. The first one is whatdoesn’t seem like a big distance to me might be a huge accomplishmentfor another person. Point made point taken. The second is that doinganything healthy needs to be celebrated – no matter how big or small.

Now with that in mind let’s talk about getting some movement into ourlives. The first thing to do is to grab a pen and a piece of paper. Inbig bold letters write: MOVE YOUR BODY. Next tape that note somewherein your kitchen where you will see every single time that you walk inthe room.

Here are some exercises you can do when you go into thekitchen and you’re waiting for something to happen (kettle to boilmicrowave to beep sink to fill with water etc.):
• Push-ups: Thesecan be done at the counter top. Grab the edge of the counter spreadyour hands a decent distance apart move your feet back lift yourheels and start doing push-ups. No matter how strong you are if you doenough of these they will work the targeted muscle group. An easieralternative is to find a section of wall where you can do them.
•Squats: There isn’t much floor space needed to do squats. Feet are hipwidth apart lower your buttock as far as can while bending your knees.Great way to get something from a lower cupboard instead of bendingover.
• Calf Raises: I did some while doing the dishes tonight. While standing raise your heels off the ground and then lower them. That’sone rep!

There are so many other exercises that can be done likemarching on the spot lunges and high knees. The idea is to move. Everylittle bit counts.
Something to think about.

Laurie Sweig is acertified personal fitness trainer and spinning instructor. She owns and operates The Point for Fitness. She can be reached at laurie@thepointforfitness.com .