Trying to stay fit and losing weight while running your retail business can be challenging, especially if you spend a lot of time traveling for business, or singlehandedly running your store. If you find yourself in a relatively small space, whether it's your boutique, or a business hotel room, doing exercises in small spaces can be a challenge. Sometimes the initial motivation is the most difficult part, since we associate working out with gyms and outdoor locations, not with a home office or retail store.

However, there are some exercises for small spaces that are not only safe and effective but also fun. For example, you can do the standard hamstring stretch. In this exercise, you lay on your back and place your hands behind your head and knees. You can also keep handy a small set of weights, which you can use to do a few sets in your spare time. Even 20 minutes of daily moderate exercise can do wonders as compared to a lack of daily exercise. If in the course of running your retail or wholesale business, you are already picking up and moving products all day, then you are essentially already partaking in a relative amount of strength training, so you might want to consider skipping the weights and focusing on more cardio and aerobic exercises.

Now, cross your legs at your feet and then raise your buttocks up and in toward your chest. Incline your knees high while tightening your glutes. Slowly lower yourself down to the original starting position and repeat. You can increase the difficulty of the high knees exercise by raising your legs farther out from the floor.

Another excellent exercise that you can do to help you stay fit is the jumping jacks exercise. This is a low-impact, upper body workout that you can do in your own home. To do the jumping jacks, first stand with both your feet hip distance apart. Now, lean against the wall with your hands resting behind your head. Now jump as high as you can. Do this several times, focusing on keeping your legs straight and your heart rate fast.

The next exercise for small spaces that involves an activity that many people are familiar with-the vertical leg raise. To begin this exercise, first find a comfortable spot for you to perform the leg raise. Next, bend your knees to a 45 degree angle and rest your arms on the wall while keeping your chest inches above your knees. Next, slowly lower yourself to the original position while making sure you don't flare your knees out.

You may find performing the vertical leg raises too challenging for your legs, so it's recommended that you perform these leg raises with a partner. To start, kneel on the ground with your thighs parallel to the ground. Next, jump up as high as you can without looking up, and land in the athletic stance you had before starting the jump. Jump as high as you can. Next, lower yourself slowly, almost in a crawling fashion, until you're just about flat on your back. Make sure you take your hand off your chest when lowering yourself, otherwise your weight will be uneven and you won't get the full range of motion in the jump.

Another great upper body cardio exercises for small spaces is the jumping rope. There are many different jumping rope exercises that you can use for this exercise. Most jumping rope workouts include a mixture of power and precision techniques, so be sure you're working with a partner to avoid hurting yourselves from excessive pressure and fall. To start, find a sturdy area to stand beneath where there are no branches or trees near. Hold on to the rope, then leap as high as you can while holding on to the rope. Jump the rope several times, varying your height as you go up.

Three different types of leg workouts you can do include the standard lunge jump, the standard stair climber lunge, and the standing one-leg squat. All of these exercises target the quads, which are the muscles located in front of the knee. The standard stair climber lunge jump exercises your quadriceps, the group of three muscle groups between the knee and the ankle. The standard lunge stair climber also exercises your hamstrings, which are the group of muscles in the back of the thigh.

The standard stair climber lunge have you engaged in a forward lunge, which is essentially the movement of your leg in a straight line from your lower torso all the way over your opposite hip. The stair climber also exercises your quadriceps, which are the large muscles found in the front of the thigh. Lastly, the standard lunge jump works the hip abductors, which are located in the back of the thigh, allowing your legs to bend at the knee in a relaxed position, without restricting your movement at all. These exercises for small spaces can be done by yourself or with a partner. Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do, and even if you only have a small space available, and it can seem kind of funny, walking back and forth for 10 minutes will get your muscles working, burn calories, and elevate your mood. Some of my best business ideas came as a result of taking a brief walk.

Pushups and stomach crunches can also be great exercises which you can do in between sales calls and business emails.

Losing and keeping weight off, has a lot to do with your diet, so being careful with what you eat is crucial, especially if you spend a lot of time traveling for your business. Try to prepare food for your trip, this way you can avoid binging on junk food.

Ultimately, before starting any workout or diet program, you should consult with a doctor and a licensed personal trainer who is personally familiar with you.