Peeking at your calendar, you notice that Saturday morning includes grabbing coffee with a friend, a quick trip to the post office, picking up veggies at the Farmer’s Market, and then — if time allows — squeezing in some cardio.

If history is any indicator, you’re fairly certain that the juggling ball most likely to fall to the ground is exercise. With just a little creativity though, you can begin to integrate exercise into the natural rhythm of your life by making a few manageable changes. 

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

~Invite a friend to walk with you to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning.
      Hint: Load your stroller or wagon with fruits and veggies to maximize your workout on the way back home!

~While you’re walking, bend at the knees to pick up trash you find along the way.
     Hint: If you were paying a trainer at the gym, she’d call these “squats.”

~Walk to your neighborhood park with your kids and then back home together.
       Hint: Involving your kids in exercise benefits everyone.

~Even if your husband reaches to carry in the groceries, take them back.
      Hint: Be careful to use good posture to protect your back.

~Instead of driving to the store for a gallon of milk or OJ, brainstorm local options in walking distance of your home.
     Hint: Lifting the jugs over your triceps as you carry them home is called “curls.”

~Rather than harping on your family to take their folded laundry upstairs, make some trips yourself to work legs and arms.
      Hint: The costlier version is called “Stairmaster.”

~If your multilevel church or workplace has stairs, skip the elevator.
      Hint: Don’t forget to encourage your kids to skip the elevator, too.

~Rather than circling the mall parking lot for the closest space, beeline for the farthest one!
      Hint: Same goes for the parking lot of the gym. Obviously.

With a few simple changes you can increase your daily activity without tacking on much extra time.

Margot Starbuck is the author of Unsqueezed: Springing Free From Skinny Jeans, Nose Jobs, Highlights and Stilettos (InterVarsity Press, 2010). Visit her at MargotStarbuck.com.