Despite what many may think, working from home takes a lot of time and a lot of work. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “They don’t really have a job, they just work from home.” That statement couldn’t be farther from the truth! Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first ones to drop is fitness.

When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems to get clean and family and/or friends who demand attention, it’s understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it shouldn’t.

Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better – two things that are especially beneficial to busy at-home workers and business owners. Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. If that still doesn’t convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer. What more could you ask for?

It all sounds great, right? But you still don’t think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape. Don’t worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in. Below are some tips to help you get started.

1. Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it’s so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this think of yourself as having a traditional “office job”. In most “office jobs” when you go home for the night you leave work behind and concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you.

2. During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run up and down the stairs (or even just walk). This will also help rejuvenate your mind.

3. Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work.

4. It’s not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You’ll get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read # 1 above if you just said you have no “after work” time).

5. If you don’t won’t to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner and you don’t have to compromise calories as you would if you instead opted for take-out.

6. One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you don’t have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you don’t have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don’t have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.

7. If you haven’t already done so, invest in a good hands-free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, tricep dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.

8. Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Don’t forget to keep water on hand and sip some all throughout your day.

9. Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it’s also beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help build your core strength (your trunk area).

10. Don’t forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.

As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And if you have kids, by exercising you also set a great example. So, to help you, your business, and your family it’s time to stop making excuses and just start moving!