Physical exercise becomes an afterthought when our agendas get hectic. You should be aware that there are some tricks that can allow you to still fit exercise into your day, just in smaller intervals. Once these tricks become a part of your day, you won’t even be aware that you’re doing them. Some of these tricks you may already know, and some may be new, but all of the activities are helpful in stepping up the metabolism.

1. Park your car and walk to work or the store. Everyone wants to park as close as possible. You’ll find that carrying your briefcase or groceries to your car gives your whole body a workout.

2. Skip the elevator. Climbing stairs strengthens the leg and the buttocks. This works at work, school - anywhere there is an elevator. After you’ve spent a good amount of time mastering the stair climbing, try going up the steps two at a time.

3. Desk aerobic exercise. Sitting at your desk doesn’t have to be a time of inactivity, at least not all the time. Your chair doubles as a piece of exercise equipment. To begin, practice perfect posture. Sit with your back straight away from the chair. Pull your abdominal muscles in. This is the posture you should maintain to avoid lower back strain and to strengthen the abdominals. While you’re typing on your keyboard, sit firmly against the back of the chair for support. Remove your shoes and raise your legs and then straighten both legs out until they’re almost parallel with the desk. Don’t lock your knees, just squeeze your quadriceps muscles as you raise and lower your legs back to the start position.

Remember, when a extended workout isn’t possible, smaller intervals of activeness still produce sound benefits. Combining all of these tips will provide you with that daily workout you thought you didn’t have time for. Even if you find a regular time to exercise continue up with these tricks for an additional gain.