Start Making Choices: 15 Ways to Get More Fit

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Simple ideas for living healthier on a budget.

Don't let exercise be the first thing to fall off your busy schedule. Learn how to work in a workout—and make it really effective.

1. Exercise in quick spurts.

A study has found that people who did just four to six 30-second sprints reaped the same heart-health benefits as those who logged a moderate 40- to 60-minute workout. Two ways to get your heart racing: Jump rope for three minutes, or sprint to and from the mailbox three times (ignore the neighbors' curious looks).

2. Make your home a fitter place.

Leave a set of dumbbells near your microwave and do curls while heating up dinner. Put a yoga mat next to the bed so you can do downward dogs when you get up or at bedtime. Or hang a resistance band on the bathroom doorknob and strength-train while the tub fills up.

3. Inconvenience yourself.

Instead of always doing things the easy or fast way (standing on escalators, using valet parking), rethink the services that curb your activity level. Even tiny changes can make a difference.

4. Reinvent date night.

If your usual evening out consists of dinner and a movie (read: sedentary), consider bonding in a more active way, like dinner and dancing or taking in a museum exhibition.

5. Or make a date with Jack Bauer.

You wouldn't dare miss your favorite counterterrorism drama. So schedule regular workouts at your gym during your must-see TV shows.

6. Deskercise.

To squeeze in a few moves at work, download Break Pal, a program that pops up on your monitor every 30 minutes with a three-minute routine ($20, breakpal.com). When the phone rings, take the call standing up to burn 10 percent more calories than you would chatting in a chair.

7. Brave the outdoors.

During the winter, for instance, in 30 minutes, you'll burn about 182 calories shoveling the driveway, 205 sledding or 191 ice-skating.

8. Put it in ink.

Every Sunday night, schedule workouts into your weekly planner (or your PDA).

9. Be a coach.

Find a youth league in your area and put your old athletic skills to good use. Running laps or teaching techniques will get your heart rate going.

10. Enlist Fido.

Exercising a dog will get your arms and legs pumping. (A Canadian study found that dog owners spend about 300 minutes a week doing canine-related physical activity.) No pooch? Help a neighbor or volunteer at an animal shelter.

11. Don't let travel derail you.

Instead of returning from vacation feeling flabby, plan a week filled with hiking, biking, walking, or an activity you'll train for. Visit Gorp Travel (gorptravel.away.com) for ideas.

12. Put a personal trainer in your pocket.

If you own an iPod or some other MP3 player, download complete audio or video workouts from iTrain.com or PumpOne.com.

13. Look at yourself.

No, really. Put a mirror in front of the treadmill. Researchers have found that people who watch themselves while working out exercise faster with less effort.

14. Increase the beat.

Listen to faster music and your feet will follow suit. And, says a new study, you may also exercise for up to 15 percent longer. Try BeatScanner, a free PC-compatible program at bestworkoutmusic.com that searches your music library for upbeat tunes.

15. Track your steps.

Wearing a pedometer will log your progress and may motivate you (aim for at least 10,000 steps a day). Log on to pedometersusa.com to find one. Simple pedometers measure just steps; sophisticated models track calories burned, distance, and more.