**The content on Healthy Farmhouse is based on our family’s personal experiences and may not be the perfect fit for everyone. Prior to reading my tips for working out throughout the day or any other health-related information on this site, I encourage you to read our full Health Disclosure to learn more.

Working it all out Every Day

I’ve got to be honest, getting back into the groove after letting myself go for the past year has been hard stuff, you guys!

First, I failed at my initial attempt at doing the squat challenge, something I thought I would totally conquer. 

I did end up finishing that one the second time around, but it was nowhere near as easy as I thought it would be.

Then, I didn’t even take a stab at the walking challenge I put together because I simply couldn’t find the motivation.

Finally, I slacked off even more by not creating a 30-day challenge for April as I had originally planned (and apparently that means you’re getting this workout post instead).

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, you guys!

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m not so young anymore (hello, 40! That’s the age I will be in just a few short months), or maybe it truly does take time to get back in the swing of things.

Either way, I’m slowly gaining traction with this workout thing, and these are some of the ways I’m doing it.

Why Work Out Throughout the Day?

It’s easier. Plain and simple.

Stealing small moments to work out throughout the day is the only way I’m making any progress lately, you guys!

Have I lost weight? No. Do I feel like I’m on my road to becoming a supermodel? Also no.

However, I’m feeling slightly more motivated to keep going, and I do feel like I’m making tiny strides in the direction I want to go.

All that said, I’m not a fitness guru, and I’m definitely not what anyone would consider skinny or fit.

I’m just an average, real person who is trying to be as health-conscious and active as I can.

How to Fit Workouts Into Your Day

When it comes to fitting workouts in throughout the day, it’s important to start small and have patience with yourself.

While I chose to start with a 30-day workout challenge, you can totally start with something as little as 5 squats or 10 arm rolls, you guys!

All that said, you can go as intense or as light as you wish.

Me? I definitely land somewhere more on the light side of things.

I really don’t do much cardio, and I tend to focus more on simple movements, strength workouts, stretches, walking, and utilizing my vibration plate.

While I may not be a picture-perfect influencer who features epic workout routines on her social media while sporting that perfect athletic wear look, I am a real person with real tips for everyday life, and that, my friend, is what these are.

• By Habit Stacking

Ok, if you have been following my posts here on Healthy Farmhouse or my posts over on the Life + Homeschool blog for long, you might be a little tired of me mentioning this this term.

However, I simply couldn’t leave it out, you guys!

While habit stacking is one of the easiest ways to form new habits, it’s also a great way to fit a workout into your day!

Simply think of something you are pretty consistent with, and tack a small workout on top of it.

For example, if you are religious about taking your vitamins, you can easily tack a 5-minute warm-up workout on the tail end of that!

I used this method for myself when trying to become more consistent about using my waverplate, and you know what? It totally worked, you guys!

• In Little Bursts

Yes, yes, yes!

Little bursts have always been my go-to for fitting in workouts throughout the day!

I actually utilized this big time while working on my 30-day squat challenge (the second time around).

Let me just say, it was the thing that got me through, you guys!

Sure, maybe it wasn’t quite as effective as doing 60 or 100 squats in one setting, but I still definitely felt the burn and reaped some of the benefits.

Little workout bursts are easier and can help keep you motivated to keep going.

• During Downtime

While we sometimes can’t openly see it or admit it, we all have downtime.

Some of us more than others, but it’s definitely there.

So, next time you’re about to sit down to put your feet up to read, do a puzzle, watch a show, or play a game, simply commit to doing a 3-5 minute workout prior to relaxing.

Sure, you can totally do this after or during (when you get up for a drink or bathroom break), but I’ve found that if I don’t do it before, I’m likely to push it off.

• In the Waiting

I’m going to be honest, while working out in little bursts is how I stay motivated, this is the biggest way I do it!

Just think for a moment about how much waiting everyone does in a single day.

I wait while my coffee warms, I wait for the dogs to find that perfect spot to potty, I wait for my daughter to get her shoes on so we can leave, I wait, and I wait, and I wait.

So, next time you find yourself waiting, do a little workout burst to kill the time more productively.

For example, I warm my coffee on the stove multiple times a day (I’m kind of an anti-microwave gal), and since it takes a minute or 2 for this task, I quickly do a few leg stretches, squats, shoulder rolls, or arm circles.

I’ve done this for a long time, and it’s just a simple way to get the blood flowing in between all the sitting I do in a day.

More recently, though, I’ve been jogging in place while my pups go outside to do their business, and I’ve found this to be a great option as well!

• With Mundane Tasks

Yet another option that I’ve done almost my entire adult life.

Most people struggle with how to fit a workout into the day simply because we all have way too much on our plates.

So what if those annoying, mundane tasks were our workouts too?

For example, I do squats while swapping my laundry from the washer to the dryer — squatting down, grabbing 1-2 items at a time, standing up, then squatting back down to place them in the dryer (for visual purposes, I have a front-load set, not on pedestals).

Does this take a bit longer? Sure. But honestly, it’s not that much longer, and I can easily fit 10 squats in this way!

I also do calf raises while doing the dishes (taking zero extra time) and lunges while walking back and forth between rooms during cleaning tasks.

• During Entertainment

Ok, so this isn’t my jam, but I have made attempts at it before, so it makes the list.

Working out while relaxing and enjoying entertainment such as TV can easily be done if you have workout equipment in the house.

For example, I used to watch a specific show (in the ancient days when I watched new TV shows) at the same time each week, and I would watch said show while working out on my Total Gym.

I would sit on my total gym working on different exercises for the entire hour each week, and it felt incredible, you guys!

This was probably the time in my adult life when I was the most fit, but not necessarily the most health-conscious, as I ate like total crap.

That said, you can also do this with a treadmill, elliptical, or bicycle. However, equipment isn’t 100% necessary either.

If equipment isn’t your style or you simply don’t have any, you can just create simple goals for yourself during the duration of your show.

Or, if fun is your thing, consider making your workout a game by creating a workout BINGO card specific to your show or movie (ieg, a Gilmore Girls version might say 5 squats each time Emily and Lorelai disagree, 20 arm circles each time Lane mentions a band, and 10 situps each time Kirk has a new job).

Ok, ok, I’m kind of a Gilmore Girls fanatic, you guys!

• By Scheduling it

Last, but certainly not least, you can easily fit a workout into your day by scheduling it.

As a huge to-do list lover, I always function better with a plan in hand.

That said, I don’t always add my workouts to my to-do list.

However, I tend to have better success with the larger ones, like my 30-day challenges, when I do!

So, pencil in some squats or a 5-minute cardio workout in between doing the dishes and checking your email, and watch the magic happen as you check all those boxes off, you guys!

Working Out Throughout My Day

Want to know the real reason I wrote this one, you guys? Because I needed it.

While I do tend to work out in bursts and try to stay active during the waiting and the mundane, I’ve really been slacking lately.

Up until my recent success (during my second attempt) with my 30-day squat challenge, I had really gotten bad about being active.

I feel like I had a better handle on it while we were living in the RV because being in such a small space meant I had to get outside and walk regularly.

However, losing my dad shortly after moving into our home and then living for months without running water put me in a bit of a depression (or funk) that I just couldn’t shake.

This, of course, resulted in me losing that momentum to keep pushing forward and stay active.

So, here I am, writing this little motivational speech for you, but also a bit for me.

I truly hope it helps all of us, you guys!

Now, get out there and start working out throughout the day.