Finding Time to Exercise as a Caregiver

When your job or time revolves around caring for another, one of the things that’s easy to let fall by the wayside is your own personal well-being. Exercise is incredibly important for not only physical health, but mental as well. Follow these tips for how to better find time for yourself to keep yourself active, and healthy.

• Make exercise a priority. By making sure you have room for it in your life, either marking it on your calendar, posting motivational messages on many surfaces you’ll be seeing commonly, or scheduling workouts with friends in advance, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.
• Set up a home exercise space: If leaving your loved one for long periods of time is unfeasible, then if money and space allows, set up a place to work out at home. You can use an exercise video, many are freely available online, or ask a doctor or trainer for a list of exercises to be done at home. You can also set up a modest space with equipment, like weights and some small items like a bench or stationary bike.
• Make time for short exercise breaks: The official recommendation on exercise is 150 minutes each week. But that could come in the form of doing ten minutes at a time, three minutes a day, five days a week. Every little bit counts, so find ways to squeeze in a few minutes at a time when you’re otherwise free. Try taking the stairs, lifting light weights while watching TV, or marching in place while on the phone.