4 Ways to Get More Activity in Your Day

Being Active is the Key to Prevention

On the whole, a large component of your health and wellbeing comes down to your fitness level. We’re not saying that you have to be an Olympic athlete in order to be at your best, but finding ways to make yourself more active will go a long way to preventing some diseases and health conditions before they start.

According to the HHS, only about ⅓ of adults exercise the recommended amount each week. This means that chances are good that you might not be getting in as much exercise as you should, but there’s good news — you can always start fresh from the beginning! Also, don’t forget to stay hydrated, you can read our article on the benefits of proper hydration to find out more.

But a lot of times, people aren’t always sure of where to start, especially when there’s too little time in the day. So what can you do to increase your physical activity, even when you’re strapped for time?

1. Take the Stairs

Easier said than done, yes. But, in truth, this is where a lot of people can get in some really effective exercise. Taking the stairs will not only help you to train your lungs to prepare for more strenuous exercise, it will also help develop the strength in your legs.

Always tailor this to your own situation, and only engage in exercise if your doctor says that you are healthy enough for physical activity. Tailoring the exercise to your own situation means that if you work on the 20th floor of your workplace, then start out by taking as many flights of stairs as you can before going to the elevator. Or, if you only have one flight of stairs, take them for everything.

The stairs are a great way to start developing a baseline for more physical activity later.

2. Park Far Away From Your Destination

How often do we waste long periods of time in parking lots, trying to get the closest space we can? It’s common to find people who will drive around for 5-10 minutes looking for a spot that’s only ten or twenty feet closer than another available spot. So what do you do here? Go to the furthest parking spot you can!

The time it takes to walk into the grocery store or a restaurant will only be a minute or so. But, this is still a great opportunity to add in some great walking. Sure, it takes a little more effort. But this is the trade-off when you just don’t have extra moments in the day to hit the gym.

By parking further away, you are putting yourself into the right mindset to make more small changes. And that’s what we’re looking for — developing small habits that will add up over time.

3. Get Moving Every Hour

When you sit down, whether at home to relax or at work, start a timer for 55 minutes. When the timer goes off, walk around — inside or outside — for five minutes. In an 8-hour workday, this means that you would effectively add 40 minutes of extra physical activity each day.

This is such a great place to begin, and then add in the stairs and parking further away from your destination. Just imagine, with an extra 40 minutes of exercise 5 days a week, you’re on your way to a better and healthier self!

4. Ask For Accountability

One of the biggest reasons that many people fail in their endeavors to become more physically active is that they try to do it themselves. Whereas sometimes an app on your phone can be helpful with this, it’s often not enough to get the results you need.

Thus, ask your friends or coworkers to keep you accountable. In this way, you can help to reinforce your goals and really achieve results. Furthermore, you don’t have to explain why you’re not taking the elevator, and why you’re parking so far away from places — they’ll just know.

Friends and family are the center of our emotional support networks, so make use of them for your physical activity support network as well. In this way, you will be able to achieve more and stay on track.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your overall health today, you should sign up below for an initial consultation. Our staff will give you a full evaluation and will then help you put together an action plan.