How (and why) to make exercise part of your routine?

THE 10-MINUTE EXERCISE PLAN FOR BUSY STUDENTS

A little bit of exercise can go a long way toward helping you stay fit and energized.

If you feel you "just don´t have the time" to exercise, take a closer look at your schedule. There´s probably at least one half hour every day during which you´re just staring at the wall. That´s not a waste of time, of course: your subconscious is working away on some problem or issue of importance to you. It can do the same while you´re exercising, though. You will probably even sleep better, making up the half hour you "lost."

Exercise should be a routine like eating or brushing your teeth. If exercising is a habit that you perform automatically, you don´t have the feeling that you´re stealing time from some other, more important activity. Start with ten-minute chunks: jog around the block, maybe, at the start of each day before breakfast. Go for a swim just before dinner time. Or simply find a staircase to run up and down.

If you get discouraged, just remember: the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single lap around the pool.