3 of the Best Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Fitting exercise into your busy days can sometimes seem impossible. Between meeting the demands of work and family life, exercise can often get bumped from your schedule. But exercise is not just an important part of maintaining your overall health. It is also a known lifestyle factor for reducing your cancer risk.

“There are countless benefits to exercise, both physical and psychological. Physical activity improves our cardiovascular health, helps us maintain a healthy weight, strengthens our muscles, and releases endorphins, among many other benefits. There is also a wealth of literature supporting a link between exercise and cancer prevention,” said Cristina Rodriguez, MD, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expert and medical oncologist at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. But even if you have just 10-20 minutes in your day to spare — whether it be on a lunch break or right when you get up in the morning — starting to do some form of exercise can make a big difference to your health.

If you find yourself short on time, you might be wondering how to make a quick exercise session count. First, check with your health care team to be sure that it’s safe for you to start new exercises. Once you do, here are 3 exercises you can get started with:

Squats

Squats are helpful for strengthening your leg and core muscles. Having a strong core can help improve your balance and prevent injuries. This exercise can be modified depending on your abilities. You can sit in a chair to start the squat, if needed. Or you might want to use the back of a chair to support yourself, as necessary.

To do a squat:

1. Stand with your feet at about hip-distance apart.
2. Keep your toes and gaze straight ahead.
3. Keep your arms straight out in front of you, too. Or, you can hold on to the back of a chair if you need support.
4. Slowly bend down at your knees, keeping your back straight.
5. Once your knees are at a 90-degree angle, slowly rise back up.

Pushups 

Pushups are a great way to help build upper body strength. They’re also an easy exercise to modify based on your environment and ability level. For example, if you’re at work, you can do pushups against your desk. Or, if you find that doing a traditional pushup is too difficult, you can start by doing them on your knees or against a chair instead.

To do a traditional pushup:

1. Lower yourself onto the ground. Get on your hands and knees.
2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Push your legs back hip-distance apart as you lift your body up into a plank. The goal is to keep your body in this straight line throughout the pushup.
4. Bend your elbows to slowly lower your body down. Then, slowly rise back up into a plank.

Walking

It might seem simple, but walking is one of the most effective exercises you can do when you’re short on time. “I usually tell my patients, even a short walk, if done consistently, has benefits,” said Dr. Rodriguez. Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your heart health, and reduce your risk of diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

During the workday, try going for a short walk at lunch. Or, you can try taking quick walk breaks around the office throughout the day. If you’re at home, going for a walk at the start or end of the day can help make it a consistent habit. If you have a standing desk, you might want to get an under-the-desk walking pad.

If you only have a certain amount of time to exercise in a given day, try to split up the time you spend doing all 3 exercises evenly. For example, if you only have 15 minutes, you can warm up with a 5-minute walk. Then, you can spend 5 minutes doing sets of squats and 5 minutes doing sets of pushups.

By getting started with these small, quick exercises, you might find yourself more open to trying other types of exercise. But keep in mind that the best workouts are the ones you’ll actually stick with. “My advice to my patients has always been: be practical, figure out what you enjoy, what works for you, and have fun,” said Dr. Rodriguez.

Dr. Rodriguez is an Associate Editor on ASCO’s Patient Information Editorial Board.