Does your job have you constantly on the move? Walking down streets, moving heavy boxes, climbing stairs, and walking all require some level of physical exertion. However, you should guard against thinking that your job is all the exercise you need. Because while you may be on the move from 9 to 5, much of that movement doesn’t qualify in the exercise category.

Sure, you can burn calories while landscaping or cleaning gutters, but true exercise does more than that. Here is why you need to get exercise even if you’re always on the go, and how can you work out within the confines of your work day.

The Brain-Body Connection

For most people, walking is walking. So it only makes sense for you to reap the same benefits whether you’re walking to the courthouse to represent a client or walking around the block for a late afternoon break. Strangely, your mind and body doesn’t quite work as you would expect.

While walking of any sort may help your body experience some benefits from the exercise, your brain doesn’t register harried and hurried walking to get to your next meeting as exercise. Your brain is a little too busy worrying if you’re going to be late once again, so you don’t reap all the benefits. Don’t believe it? At the end of your day, are you stressed out despite being on the move? How much better do you feel after spending an hour or so in the gym? Obviously, your body demands your brain’s involvement in order to give you all the perks you seek.

Focus on Mechanics

Of course, if your job is so demanding that you couldn’t possibly squeeze any exercise into your daily routine, there are ways to make the most of your job-required movement. One of the easiest is to pay attention to your mechanics while working and always maintain good form. In order to do this, you will need to be in an exercise mindset as you walk through the school halls, hammer nails into two-by-fours, climb ladders to reach the top of the building, or lift patients from their hospital beds.

Another way to shove some true exercise into your routine is to do a little extra as you go about your workday. When you have a wide-open hall, don’t simply rush down it. Stop and do 20 jumping jacks. Or head to the break room every hour for a quick round of push-ups. And when leaving a room, stand in the doorway and put your hands on opposite sides of the doorframe and push.

Wave Excuses Goodbye

Now that you know some ways to get a little exercise in your workday, you may think your exercise needs are met. Well, they’re not. Regardless of how physically demanding your job may be or how many crunches you perform between meetings, you’ll still need to spend some dedicated time in the gym.

By spending at least 30 minutes each day lifting weights and performing cardiovascular exercises, you’ll feel better and be better prepared to handle the daily strains of your workplace. For those days on the job that physically wear you out, opt for a calm and relaxing yoga or pilates class. You’ll still get in some exercise, while helping your body to relax and leave all the stress of your day behind.