5 Tips to Easily Get 30 Minutes of Activity Each Day
So how can you make sure to get 30 minutes each day? If you’re busy or any exercise at all seems daunting to you–that’s okay. The key is to start slow and celebrate every win you have along the way.
You’ll have to try a few things before you discover what works best for you. So here are 5 common solutions that help others find time for exercise and be excited about it.
Tip #1: Break It Up
Don’t have 30 minutes straight on some days? That’s okay.
While 30 minutes is a pretty short workout, with busy schedules even that amount of time can feel impossible.
Breaking up your activity:
So instead, make time for 15 minutes of movement in the morning and another 15 in the evening. Even shorter time chunks like that are even easier to squeeze in.
Morning activity options:
- 15-minute walk
- Quick yoga session
- Bodyweight exercises
- Dancing to music
- Stretching routine
- Light cardio
- Strength training
Evening activity options:
- 15-minute walk
- Gym session
- Home workout video
- Sports or recreation
- Active family time
- Yoga or stretching
- Swimming
Why breaking it up works:
- Less intimidating
- Easier to schedule
- Fits busy days
- Doubles motivation boost
- Spreads energy expenditure
- Easier habit formation
- More sustainable
Desk breaks throughout day:
Making time to move your muscles and get your heart pumping at all is better than not doing it.
You can also take a few minutes at your work desk. Do stretches in 5-minute chunks. That does wonders for your back and neck muscles that grow tense as we hunch over computer screens all day. It also helps you get the blood flowing to your legs and activates your muscles.
Desk activity ideas:
- Neck and shoulder stretches (5 min)
- Desk push-ups (5 min)
- Seated twists (5 min)
- Leg lifts and extensions (5 min)
- Standing calf raises (5 min)
- Arm circles and reaches (5 min)
- Posture corrections (ongoing)
Cumulative effect:
So on those super busy days, you can still find a few minutes here and there to get activity in. And over the course of the day, it’ll all add up.
Cumulative activity benefits:
- Multiple 5-minute sessions = 30 minutes
- Prevents sedentary behavior
- Improves circulation throughout day
- Boosts metabolism multiple times
- Increases daily step count
- Reduces sitting time
- Builds consistency habit
Tip #2: Mix It Up and Tailor Your Workouts to Your Busy Schedule
There are plenty of reasons to mix up your training routine. Some of those reasons have to do with building your well-rounded and overall health and fitness. But it’s also helpful so you can adapt to the busiest days of your week.
Benefits of variety:
- Prevents boredom
- Works different muscle groups
- Reduces overuse injuries
- Maintains interest
- Challenges body differently
- Improves overall fitness
- Keeps workouts fresh
Adapting to your schedule:
Some days are busier and you’ll feel more motivated to do yoga than you would be for a run. There might be days of the week that a workout class is open, while it isn’t on other days.
Flexible workout options:
High-energy days:
- Running or cycling
- HIIT workouts
- Sports or recreation
- Group fitness classes
- Intense strength training
- Competitive activities
Low-energy days:
- Yoga or Pilates
- Walking
- Stretching
- Tai chi
- Light swimming
- Leisurely cycling
- Restorative activities
Time-based options:
- 30-minute straight session
- Two 15-minute sessions
- Three 10-minute sessions
- Multiple 5-minute sessions
- Combination approach
- Flexible scheduling
When you adjust your workouts to your routine and build in variety, you’re more likely to commit to the exercise you have planned.
Creating a flexible schedule:
- List available activities
- Note when they’re available
- Match to your energy levels
- Plan weekly variety
- Stay adaptable
- Celebrate all movement
- Adjust as needed
Tip #3: Make It Part of Your Commute
If you can ride your bike to work, that covers your exercise requirement and takes care of the practical necessity of getting to work.
Commute-based activity options:
Biking to work:
- Covers 30-minute requirement
- Saves transportation costs
- Reduces carbon footprint
- Improves fitness
- Energizes your morning
- Saves time overall
- Weather-dependent
Walking to work:
- Builds in daily activity
- Saves transportation costs
- Mental clarity before work
- Reduces stress
- Improves mood
- Connects with the community
- Time-dependent
Public transportation:
- Walk to the station
- Stand instead of sitting
- Get off one stop early
- Walk the remaining distance
- Builds in activity
- Reduces sitting time
- Flexible timing
Cycling variations:
- E-bike for hills
- Cargo bike for errands
- Folding bike for mixed transit
- Scooter or skateboard
- Inline skates
- Kick scooter
Benefits of commute-based activity:
- Kills two birds with one stone
- No extra time needed
- Builds consistency
- Saves money
- Environmental benefit
- Mental preparation
- Sustainable habit
Tip #4: Set Up Active Outings With Friends and Family
Making exercise a group activity is one of the best ways to make exercise enjoyable and to hold yourself accountable.
Why group activity works:
- Social accountability
- More enjoyable
- Shared experience
- Motivation from others
- Built-in commitment
- Fun and connection
- Consistency support
Group activity options:
It’s easy to do a lot of activities with others–any team sport, tennis, swimming, hiking, or dancing. Doing exercise with people you enjoy makes it more fun and gives you the added joy of making time to spend with the people who are important to you.
Team sports:
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Soccer
- Softball
- Flag football
- Tennis
- Badminton
Partner activities:
- Tennis
- Doubles racquetball
- Partner yoga
- Dance classes
- Martial arts
- Swimming
- Cycling
Group activities:
- Hiking
- Walking groups
- Fitness classes
- Dance classes
- Sports leagues
- Recreational programs
- Outdoor adventures
Family activities:
- Family walks
- Active games
- Playground time
- Bike rides
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Outdoor exploration
Benefits of social exercise:
- Accountability increases adherence
- More enjoyable experience
- Shared motivation
- Built-in support system
- Social connection
- Quality time with loved ones
- Increased consistency
- Fun and laughter
Tip #5: Do Activities You Like
Doing exercise that you truly enjoy is the most important piece of advice on this list.
Why enjoyment matters most:
- Increases consistency
- Reduces mental resistance
- Makes it sustainable
- Improves adherence
- Creates positive associations
- Builds lifelong habits
- Prevents burnout
Forget the “shoulds”:
Forget anyone telling you that you must do a specific exercise if you want to lose weight. Or that there are good and bad workouts depending on how hard you exercise, how fast you can move, or how heavy you can lift.
The important thing is doing something you love. Whatever brings you the most joy and gets you moving–do that the most.
Why this matters:
- You’ll actually do it
- Consistency is key
- Results require adherence
- Enjoyment drives motivation
- Sustainable long-term
- Better mental health
- More success overall
Balancing variety with preference:
Are there benefits to doing a mix of cardio and strength training? Yes. That’s why any personal trainer will recommend you do a mix of both.
But any movement is more important than doing the most specialized exercise out there.
Finding your perfect activity:
If you aren’t sure what you enjoy yet, take some time to find what you enjoy. It could be swimming, hiking, walking, jogging, yoga, or playing basketball, tennis, or soccer. You might find that you love weight lifting.
Activity options to explore:
- Walking
- Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Dancing
- Hiking
- Basketball
- Tennis
- Soccer
- Volleyball
- Weight lifting
- Martial arts
- Rock climbing
- Kayaking
- Rowing
- Skateboarding
- Inline skating
- Surfing
How to find your activity:
Just get out there and try a few things, and when you find something you love, keep doing it.
Discovery process:
- Try different activities
- Notice how you feel
- Pay attention to enjoyment
- Consider accessibility
- Think about frequency
- Evaluate cost
- Assess time commitment
- Choose what resonates
- Commit to that activity
- Build the habit
