I’m a big proponent of the idea that getting some exercise into your day, however you do it, is so important for everyone. Not only for the obvious physical reasons, but also because it can help you feel better, give you more energy, help relieve stress, and so many other positive benefits.
But it’s not always easy to squeeze a full workout into our busy schedules. I’ve talked before about ways to get your moving more even on the craziest of days, but I’ve noticed a bunch of other ways in my day to day routine since then, so I thought I’d do a part 2 post. Really, if you approach your day with an attitude of “how can I move more,” you’ll be surprised at all the different opportunities there are to get a little bit more movement in. And it adds up.
So, here you go!
- Stretch. It may not seem as “active” as doing a few jumping jacks (which you can also do at any point of the day), but it increases your muscle strength and gets your blood flowing. A good stretch can also help wake you up if you’re starting to feel drowsy.
- If you’re waiting for something (a doctor’s appointment, your car to be ready at the mechanic, etc.), find out about how long it will be and use that time to take a quick walk around the building (inside or out).
- If you’re waiting for something with a shorter time window (waiting for the elevator, waiting in line at the grocery store), do some subtle movements like bouncing up and down on the balls of your feet or tensing and releasing different parts of your body. Every little bit helps!
- Walk while you talk. Stroll around the house while you’re on the phone…extra points for doing some cleanup while talking. Not at home? If you have your own office, you can put a call on speakerphone and do some (quiet) moving around. Just be careful in busy environments where you need to concentrate on where you’re going. Those videos of people walking into shopping mall water fountains while on their cell phone are pretty funny, but I don’t want any B&B readers to be the subject of one. 🙂
- Walk like you mean it. Across the parking lot, between offices at work, whenever you’re getting from point A to point B, make it count! Swing your arms, keep up a good pace, and get your heart pumping. (Same goes for taking the stairs.)
- Fidget. When you’re stuck in a meeting or typing up a report, jiggle your foot back and forth under the desk or drum your fingers along something (quietly, so you don’t bother anyone). Fidgeting has been shown to burn more calories than you might think.
- Cut your lunch break in half and use half that time to do a quick power walk (or walk up and down some stairs if it’s yucky outside).
- Set up a movement-friendly work station. Sitting on an exercise ball or using a standing desk may seem a little weird at first, but you might be surprised to find it’s actually an easy way to keep yourself from being too stationary while working.
- Get a little lovin’. I don’t think I need to go into detail, but there’s something else that can definitely help you burn calories, and even if you’re not a huge fan of exercise, chances are you’ll enjoy this particular workout. I’ll leave it at that. 😉
What other ways can you think of to get a little more movement into your day?
~Heart,
Em
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photo credit: Angus McIntyre
