Easy Ways to Stay on Top of Being Active!
Going to the gym every day and being consistent can be overwhelming!
The gym can be intimidating, and getting the motivation to actually try can be difficult.
Just Google “how to get started exercising,” and you get over a BILLION (that’s billion, with a B) hits!
So I wanted to share with you some tips and tricks I have put into practice to increase my daily fitness level just by doing everyday things.
General Tips
Take it slow, and create small goals.
Consistency is more important than intensity. Let's read that again, consistency is more important than intensity. I bet if you ask any personal trainer, they will tell you that exact phrase.
Focusing on the form is much more important than what weight you are working with and can keep you safer and healthier. Your first goal should be to consistently perform the exercise correctly, then you can up the weight.
Grab a friend. Being consistent can take some time and needs accountability. Grabbing a friend can help exercise seem less intimidating and increase accountability for each other. It also allows you to connect with people who have similar health goals, keeping you on track with that as well. And having a friend just keeps things more fun!
Start small and celebrate the small wins. When you are just starting out, it can feel like you never make any progress. Start with small obtainable goals that will make it easier to reach your larger goals. Then celebrate the small victories like going to the gym for the first time or adding a 15-minute walk to your day. Celebrating the small victories can help lead you to bigger ones. You got this!
The overall takeaway is to be patient with yourself. Increasing your physical activity even slightly will help pave the path to fitness.
Definition:
Activities of Daily Living
I want to begin by explaining something called Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs for short.
Activities of Daily Living are activities that you do in your day-to-day life that expend energy.
For example, walking into the grocery store from your car, vacuuming the floor, walking up the stairs, etc. etc.
These ADLs are what make a difference from completely sedentary to low activity fitness levels or even moderate activity fitness levels. It is easy to get lost in our desks and at work and go from one seated position to the other without ever actually moving our bodies throughout the day.
Even the smallest amount of activity every day can increase your fitness levels overall!
Easy Examples
Cleaning
Cleaning seems super mundane, but it can actually be an easy way to add extra movement to your day.
You burn 4 calories every minute of vacuuming. That means that if you vacuum for an hour, you will have burned 240 calories. That's the same as walking 2 miles!
Adding lunges or some dance moves can increase these calories burned and can also increase the fun ;)
Other good cleaning examples would be sweeping, mopping, cleaning the counters, scrubbing the bathroom, you name it.
2. Taking the Stairs
Taking the stairs seems like an obvious answer but think of how often we DON’T choose the stairs. I myself am guilty of this. I know after a long day, the last thing I want to do is take the stairs.
But taking the stairs is an easy way to add some extra steps to your step counter, no pun intended. Even taking the stairs for two floors and then riding the elevator for two floors can be beneficial.
If you want to take this a step further, you can even try some stair exercises while you walk, such as skipping stairs or stair squats as you go up.
3. Grocery Shopping
You read that right! Making small changes to something as easy as grocery shopping can have lasting effects on your health.
How often do you circle the parking lot looking for the closest spot to the door? I know I have done this plenty of times. But parking farther away actually gives you the opportunity to get outside and walk. Walking back is an added bonus because you will have groceries to carry, so there will be extra weight.
In addition, you can use a basket while you are shopping instead of a grocery cart to increase your upper body strength. You gradually increase the weight as you shop, too, giving you a harder workout over the course of your trip.
If you do decide to take the grocery cart route, return your grocery cart to the farthest cart return from your car. This will give you some added walking distance to your trip!
4. Stretch at Work
It can be easy to get lost in the shuffle of work during a busy day. I know sometimes, I will get so busy I will even forget to eat lunch! But it is important to take a break and get up to move around.
This may look different for everyone, but try taking a walk to the bathroom or getting up to stretch for 30 seconds. Click here for a short video on some desk stretches that you can try!
If you are someone like me, you may even want to get up to go for a walk outside for a bit. Fresh air does wonders to reduce the stress of the day!
5. Walk While on the Phone
Again, another task that seems so mundane but can actually be turned useful! Many of us have to take phone calls throughout the day, whether that be for work or just catching up with a friend.
Why not turn it into a fun activity by pacing, going for a walk, or adding some dance moves while you are on the phone? Multitasking can make the walking feel easier, making it an easy way to get those extra steps in!
What are some other activities you can think of that you do every day that can increase your activity? Are there some I haven’t thought of? Let us know in the comments below!
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