Ways to add movement into your daily life.

July 18, 2017

Humans were made to move. I think you know that a lack of physical activity has clearly been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. In addition, being inactive can add to feelings of anxiety and depression. It can even lead to premature death. On the other hand, here are some of the many benefits of adding more movement throughout the day:

Control your weight.
Improve your mental health and mood.
Combat disease.
Increase your chances of living longer.
Improve your sleep.
Have more energy.
Reduce stress.
Improved brain function.

The human body isn’t designed to sit bent and scrunched up in a chair all day, day after day – it’s designed to move. Fortunately, any movement can be considered physical activity and is beneficial, even small amounts of movement. Here are some ways to add movement into your daily life.

Set the Goal to Move More. I recommend that you set the goal of moving more, and make a commitment to stick to that goal.

Maximize Your Daily Movements.Look for ways to add more movement to things you’re already doing. Look at the following:

When you drive to work, forgo the coveted parking space right next to the building’s entrance. Instead, choose a parking space farther away from the front door and add steps to your day.
At work, visit the restroom at the other end of the building. Taking the stairs to the restroom on another floor is even better.
Refill your coffee cup at the machine farthest from your workstation.
Use the printer or copier furthest away from your desk.

A few extra steps here and there can go a long way.

Move Faster.A wide variety of daily activities can become exercise if you do them faster or more intensely.

Picking up the pace, even if you’re just walking to your car, will help you burn more calories and strengthen your legs. For example, if you need to visit a few stores at one big plaza, instead of driving to each one you can walk to these destinations, and resolve to do it more quickly.

Get more out of your movements by doing them faster.

Increase the Beat.A lot of us listen to music while doing things like walking or exercising. As stated in the point above, you can get more out of your movements by increasing the speed at which you do them. And a great way to pick up the speed is to listen to music with a faster tempo.

Songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) make you work out harder.

Get a High Energy Dog. Having a dog will force you to move more. After all, you’ll have to take it out at least once a day so that it can get some exercise, or risk having your furniture destroyed as punishment for keeping it cooped up inside all day.

Make Moving Fun. Moving more doesn’t have to be one more task or chore to add to your to-do list. Instead, you can categorize it as “play”. How? By making it fun! Here are some ideas:

Get a mini-trampoline –rebounding is great exercise, and it’s lots of fun.
Join a dance class.

Devote Time to Fitness.You have to schedule some fitness time in your day. Put it on your calendar NOW. Otherwise you are risking to simply skip it. Even short 20 min slots help if you are really busy. I am a big advocate of short but intensive workouts. I use the FIT In 15 Program I created to stay fit with these short workouts.

Keep in mind that even if you do devote some time to exercising, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to move for the rest of the day. The benefits of exercise can be reduced if you spend most of the rest of your day sitting. So make sure that you still squeeze in as much active time as possible throughout the day.

Walk Indoors. Most experts recommend that you take at least 10,ooo steps a day– which is roughly the equivalent of 5 miles. The good news is, you can walk those miles indoors. If it’s raining out, it’s too hot, it’s too cold, or you simply don’t want to leave the house, walk indoors. Or march in place while watching your favorite TV show.

Maximize Your TV Watching Time.Most people spend a lot of time watching TV. And what does that mean? It means that they spend even more time sitting. However, there are many ways to be active while you watch TV. Here are some ideas:

Use the commercials –hold a plank during commercial breaks, do burpees, or do some jumping jacks.
Preset the timer on your TV to turn off after an hour to remind you to get up and go do something more active.
At the very least, hide the remote control so that you have to get up to change the channel.

Turn TV time into active time.

Spend More Time In Nature.I spend a lot of time outdoors, and there are many benefits of spending more time in nature. An added benefit is that when you’re out in nature it’s highly likely that you’ll be moving around. After all, the outdoors was made for all of the following:

Playing Frisbee at the park, or throwing a ball back and forth.
Playing with your dog or your kids on the grass.
Flying a kite.

Whenever you can, head outdoors and move around under the clear blue sky.

Use Your Commute.For those who work not too far from the house. Rethink the way you get to and from work. Do you drive? How about walking, rollerblading, or cycling to work, instead? You’ll be adding movement to your day, saving on gas, and maybe even saving on parking.

If you ride public transportation, try standing up for most of the way. In addition, get off the bus or subway a stop early and walk part of the way.

Go On Active Dates.When you want to spend some quality time with your spouse or significant other, instead of going to dinner and a movie, do something active. Challenge them to a game of tennis, go hiking, or go kayaking. Other ideas include the following:

Visit a new town and take a walking tour.
Go geocaching.
Go on a city-wide scavenger hunt.

You know the saying, the couple that sweats together, stays together.

Same With Catching Up With Friends.When you want to catch up with friends, instead of going out for coffee or a drink, go to the museum or a gallery exhibit. Other ideas include going to a planetarium, going bowling, or playing golf (meeting for a round of golf isn’t just for men).

If your friends live nearby, you can even start a walking club: get together for speed walking before work.

Use Stolen Moments. Any time you have a few minutes to spare here and there, use that time to get some movement in. Here are some examples:

If you’re waiting for your son or daughter to finish soccer practice, walk a few times around the field.
Got some errands to run nearby? Try walking to get your errands done. Typically, if it’s within two miles from you it can be considered walkable.
Cooking dinner? Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil. Stand about an arm’s length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter. Push in and out to get toned arms and shoulders.

Take Up An Active Hobby.Hobbiesaren’t just a way to pass the time. They can also improve the quality of your life. To squeeze more activity into your life, take up a hobby that involves moving around, such as birding, nature photography, or indoor rock climbing.
Try Active Meditation.If you’re thinking of taking up meditation to relieve stress, become more mindful, and improve your focus and concentration, instead of sitting in the lotus position consider taking up a form of active meditation.

Forms of active meditation include Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Yoga.

Encourage Your Boss to Make the Office More Exercise Friendly.Many employers are looking for ways to get their employees to exercise more. After all, people who exercise are healthier and take less sick days. In addition, they’re more creative and productive, and they tend to have better attitudes.

Here are some of the things you could recommend:

Propose walking meetings — have walking-and-talking meetings instead of the usual sit-down ones.
Start a company team — you can play softball, soccer, or tag football.
Start a mid-morning stretch group.

Round up all the studies out there which document the many benefits to companies of having a healthy, active work force, and impress your boss with your initiative.

Use the Rule of Threes. If you don’t have time to exercise for 30 minutes straight, break it up into three 10-minute segments. Get 10 minutes of cardio in the morning, 10 minutes of cardio after lunch, and 10 minutes of cardio in the evening.

Volunteer in Ways that Allow You to Be Active. A popular goal is to help others by volunteering. If volunteering is one of your goals, tie it to the goal of moving more. Look for volunteering opportunity that involve movement, such as these:

Participate in clean-up days in your community.
Volunteer to run/walk for an event.
Volunteer at a community garden.
Volunteer to coach little league. You’ll spend more time with your kid, get to know his or her friends, and get some exercise in. Three for one!

Volunteer and become more active, at the same time.

Conclusion

Improve your life by becoming more active. This includes not just exercising or playing sports, but also adding more movement to your day. Live your best life by moving more.