Sometimes, in the name of health, you just have to force yourself to do things you really don’t want to do.

Things like quitting smoking. Brushing your teeth. Flossing. And my personal Achilles heel, exercising. What I particularly find unappealing though is exercising in a gym. I should disclaim I’ve only been in an actual gym a handful of times, and that’s counting the little one-room thing an apartment building I lived in had, but I know enough to know I don’t like them. Anyway, as those who read my blog know, I recently, in an attempt to stay healthy, tried doing a routine of exercising at my house, one put together by a workout enthusiast friend I have who knows her shit, but I grew bored with the whole repetition thing and didn’t care for how much time I had to devote to doing it. So let’s just say, it wasn’t for me.

I have, however, for many years, done something I like to call “forced exercise” – exercise done during time you would be using anyway to do something else but now put exercise into that equation. For example, I routinely take the stairs rather than the elevator. I figure, I’m going up, so why not do a little exercise in the process? For me, it works perfect and I was thinking, in case there are any others out there like myself, why not share some of my ideas. So here goes…

WAYS TO EXERCISE WITHOUT GOING TO A GYM (aka FORCED EXERCISE)

1. TAKE THE STAIRS instead. Though mentioned in the paragraph above, it’s truly the best way to force yourself to exercise.

2. LIFT THE HEAVY BOXES yourself.

3. STRETCH whenever you are sitting. Repeat every ten or twenty minutes for however long you happen to be sitting.

4. WALK don’t drive if it’s less than a mile. (And for the real adventurous, JOG.)

5. SCRUB YOUR SHOWER, don’t just spray and wipe.

6. BABYSIT any child under four. For bloated days, make it two kids under three.

7. CARRY heavy things around while you do whatever it is your doing.

8. When you TIE YOUR SHOES, why not do a few SITUPS? You’re basically in the position.

9. Give those you like MASSAGES.

10. DANCE while you clean.

11. And always PARK in the first spot you see, whether or not it’s the closest.