Yes, there are ways to incorporate exercise into your life without going to the gym. Use barbells or a treadmill at home while watching television. Watch a stretching or yoga video and follow along. Walk instead of driving to the store. Also, try to start eating better at home, including keeping healthier foods on hand rather than snack foods.
Try to get 30 minutes, at a minimum, of activity every day. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans states, "The barrier often given for a failure to be physically active is lack of time. Setting aside 30 to 60 consecutive minutes each day for planned exercise is one way to obtain physical activity, but it is not the only way. Physical activity may include short bouts (e.g., 10-minute bouts) of moderate-intensity activity. The accumulated total is what is important — both for health and for burning calories. Physical activity can be accumulated through three to six 10-minute bouts over the course of a day."
You may think you don't have time to exercise because you are busy. Have you thought about how you will be able to accomplish your daily tasks when you are ill? In addition, have you considered that regular exercise can be a stress-reducer? Remember, you cannot adequately care for someone else if you don't care for yourself.
For more information, you may want to visit the learning lesson at: http://www.extension.org/pages/Take_10_-_A_Caregiver_Exercise_Program.
Or read these extension articles at:
http://www.extension.org/pages/Exercise.
