It’s 11:59pm on New Years Eve. Once again we make all kinds of promises to ourselves. We’re going to set priorities: spend more time with family, work more efficiently and eat better. And, once again this year we resolve to get into better shape. But why is it when it comes to exercise, most of us have a hard time living up to our desire? The biggest problems is finding time to work out, especially when we’re trying to focus on family, maintaining a career and having some sort of active social life.

Well, have you thought of this? Sneak some untraditional exercise into what you’re already doing. Every day take a few extra steps, or stretch, or lift something that weighs a couple of pounds…that’s exercise! And when you can wrap your mind around that idea, it’s not hard to incorporate tons of mini-workouts into your daily activities.

Considering everything else you’ve probably tried, isn’t it worth a shot? Just give some of these suggestions a try. They’ll let you make optimum use of your normal, everyday activities that you do without even really thinking about it (until now) and make small strides toward being a healthier and slimmer you.

Refuse the Elevator

If an elevator’s available, we’ll take it, automatically without even thinking about it. But stairs offer an excellent option for exercise, if only for a minute or so at a time. If you work on the 20th floor of your building, then obviously, the stairs might not be practical. But why not take the elevator to the 17th floor then walk the stairs the other three flights? Or if you are constantly going up or down a few floors during your normal work day, take the stairs. It might not seem easy at first, but after you’ve done it consistently for a day or two, you’ll think nothing of shooting up or down a flight. The same thing goes when you’re at the mall or the airport. Bypass the escalators and find the stairs.

Turn your Workspace into a Gym

There are endless opportunities for hidden exercise while you’re on the job. Simply stretching-your legs, your arms, your back-does wonders for your body. It will reduce your stress, too., which is an added bonus we all can use. So start flexing and relaxing your muscles throughout the day when you’re sitting at your desk or at a meeting. If you’re on a call, stand up and stretch, or lift a paperweight (or a five-pound weight or a can of soup). Just do anything to avoid being sedentary. Walk down the hall to talk to a colleague instead of sending an email or picking up the phone. If you print something, send it to the furtherest printer away from you desk. Then go get each print job instead of printing several and then going to pick them up all at once. Go to the restroom at the other end of the hall. Just keep in the forefront of your mind to make yourself move around during the day, even if your job doesn’t require it.

Don’t Waste Time Waiting for the good Parking Spots

It’s the funniest thing when you think about it, we’ll spend fifteen minutes circling the parking lot, waiting for that primo spot close to the entrance, instead of just accepting a spot a bit farther out and actually getting to where we’re going faster. But time isn’t the only reason to park a few rows farther from Macy’s at the shopping mall. When you can get into the habit of unconsciously choosing parking spaces that aren’t quite as close to the mall or office-even when the lot’s not full-it’s the easiest way to consistently get yourself a few extra minutes of walking. But remember, it’s most important to be always play it safe when you’re alone, especially at night. And there will be times when you’re really in a hurry and just can’t spare any extra time. But when you have an extra minute or two and can enjoy a nice, brisk stroll on your way to the entrance, take advantage of the opportunity to burn a few extra calories. Every step counts.

30 minutes a day of exercise is what each and every one of us needs. Even if it’s done in six 5-minute spurts throughout your day, it really does make all the difference.

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