5 Unusual Ways To Exercise While Living In Rural Areas

**This post is sponsored by Campbell Soup Company on behalf of their continued Heart Healthy Campaign.**

5 Unusual Ways To Exercise While Living In Rural Areas

Winter time in rural areas sometimes can make it hard to get your daily activity in.  I know that I used to struggle doing it most days because of the snow on the ground it’s hard to get outside and I am not up for the 30 minutes one way to get to a gym 5 days week.  To me it just wasn’t feasible and well to be honest I didn’t put a ton of effort into it either.  Remember I am being honest here and could come up with every excuse in the book.  I even owned a very nice elliptical that I purchased in college but after 7 years of ownership I could count the amount of times it had been used on one hand.  Pathetic right?!

Recently as I have entered into my 30’s it’s become more important to me to get some of this excess weight I have on off AND trying to show my kids a healthier lifestyle.  It’s tough and there is not a lot of willing people in my house but I figure if my kids at least see me putting some effort into it maybe they will take the initiative as well as they grow.  Here are a few ways that I am trying to get a little extra into my daily “workout” schedule.

5 Unusual Ways To Exercise & Get Your Daily Steps In

1.  Let’s say that I am a total bookworm!  I have found that I can put my iPad on the back of my couch and if I blow the font up I can read while I workout.  I usually get my 30 minutes in doing this tossing in a few leg lifts and squats while walking in place.

2.  This one is a bit odd but I crank up the music while I am in the shower and do my best to get 2 sets of a 30 second wall sit in at the start of the shower.  Our shower bottom is rough so it helps me keep my footing pretty well and the wall is sturdy.  I have also been known to try to get a set or two of squats in as well but make sure your safe while doing this.

3.  While I fold laundry I am walking in place.  With the four of is in the house this is a good way for me to get an extra hour of walking in a week.  It’s not a lot at one time but ever little bit helps.

4.  I have friend who also walks in place while doing the dishes.  I don’t appear coordinated enough for this but I thought I would toss it out there.

5.  The last way is I do most of my own hair dye jobs.  I don’t let that 30 minutes of time go to waste and try to walk in place while reading a book during that time.  I prop my iPad up on the bathroom counter with the tunes going and a book.  Just snagged me an extra 30 minutes of workout time every month.

5 Favorite “American Heart Association Certified Recipes”

Not only am I trying to get my workouts in during unusual times and places but I am trying to serve more Heart Healthy Meals for my family.  I must say this part is being met with a lot of resistance but at least one meal a week has been replaced for a heart healthy meal.  These 5 meals below from Campbell’s are heart healthy and have been met with passable expectations in our house which really says a lot for my no veggie family!

How do you keep your family heart healthy? Do you have a favorite healthy meal to cook for your family? Perhaps you have an usual way to get your exercise in?