I don’t exercise much. Don’t worry, like many people who don’t exercise much, I have excuses lined up: My wife and I both work. My work hours aren’t flexible. I have two small children. By the time the kids are sleeping I’m too tired to exercise. I have to wake up before 6 a.m. just to get everyone out the door. As you can see, I have excuses for days. But the truth is, some of us really don’t have much time to exercise. So what can we do?

As employees here we have plenty of resources at our fingertips to help us work on our wellness thanks to the UF-UF Health Wellness Committee and GatorCare. There are too many to list in this edition, but here are a few that have helped me.

The Gator Gulp Summer Water Challenge — For the second year, my co-workers and I took part. Our team didn’t win, but I drank a ton of water. I felt much better, and less hungry, while doing it and developed better habits.

Step it Up — At this point in my life I don’t have time for the gym, but I can take the stairs. Now I have more motivation. In the UF Health Shands Hospital stairwell located near the Atrium elevators, there are decals created by our News+Notes designer, Madelyn Hyder, offering encouragement to take those extra steps as part of the Step it Up initiative.

Break Boost — This program provided great tips to re-energize my workday by maximizing my breaks. I was inspired to put down my phone, stop surfing the internet and be active during my work breaks. I also try to make day-to-day decisions to promote my wellness — choosing the lower calorie option at lunch, taking the parking spot farther down the road and doing the yardwork myself.

While I won’t be mistaken for a bodybuilder or training for a marathon any time soon, I’m doing the best I can. And I’m grateful to have an employer that supports my endeavors.

Visit GatorCare.org/wellness and find wellness resources to help you.