If you're struggling to move your body throughout the day, use these quick tips to stay active! These are ways to stay active outside of anything scheduled. When implemented, they can help you move your body (and reap the benefits) without even realizing it.
Staying healthy is about so much more than what you do in the gym. Think about it: workouts take up only 20-45 minutes of your day (if you're lucky!).
As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I love telling my clients that it's what you do with the other twenty-three hours that matter!
Unfortunately, it's common practice to sit, veg, and relax during many of those hours and the thought of hitting 10k steps can seem overwhelming. So, use these 10 ways to stay active throughout your day and watch as the perks of more expenditure make your daily life BETTER. Learning how to be more active helps:
Benefits Of More Daily Movement
We all know that moving more keeps you "healthy" but what does that really mean in terms of your day-to-day life? Learning how to be more active will help you:
Energize: Staying active actually helps you GAIN energy.
Relieve stress: When it comes to mental health, movement should be high on your priority list.
Mobility: If you don't use it, you'll lose and nothing is more accurate than that. Staying active means staying mobile so you're ABLE to do more.
Our bodies were made to move. So, finding ways to move more during the day is crucial to our health- both mental and physical.
10 Ways To Stay Active
Below you'll find 10 ways to move your body more throughout the day. Some of these tips are so easy to implement that you'll barely notice them. Others take a bit more planning and effort.
Regardless, find a few that suit the lifestyle you want to have and start rocking them.
Get Active With Walking
There is nothing you can do better for your heath and to do more than to just start walking! Sound simple doesn’t it? But getting outside for a walk is insanely beneficial. Walking and moving help food digest.
It boosts your movement for the day and getting outside in nature has its own set of benefits. It's the easiest and most cost-effective way to learn to move more.
Likewise, people have found that being outside helps boost your mood. And we all know that exercise comes with endorphins. So, keep it simple and just walk more! Grab a dog or your just headphones and just get out (fun fact: here are the most unique dog names if you're thinking of getting a buddy!).
Even walking in mini intervals around the office, the block or your house is a step in the right direction to break up the work day.
Play with your kids
I can hear some of you gasping. I don’t mean to offend anyone, really, it’s not my goal. But playing with your kids is a great form of exercise.
I’m all for puzzles, games, and coloring but I also believe you should climb on the park equipment, play tag, hide and seek, pull wagons, and go tobogganing.
Not only will you get the benefits of playtime, but you’ll also have an awesome relationship with your kids.
House Work
Clean your house! Vacuuming, mopping, and tidying all get you moving.
Remember the goal isn’t intensity it’s just to be more active throughout your day.
Bike Riding
Most of us live within a quick bike ride of whatever errand we want to run. Instead of jumping in the car, bust out the bike!
That extra five minutes makes a big difference. It gets your blood pumping, your muscles working and it’s one more thing that keeps you fit. Learn more about getting around without a car and embrace more movement.
Take The Stairs
You’ve heard this one before and I’m going to add to it: don’t just bounce off the ball of your foot by climbing the stairs, use your full foot and step through!
This helps activate the entire leg and gives you more bang for your buck. But seriously, take the stairs more. It’s a simple thing you can do that adds up.
Yardwork
Do you know how much work gardening is?!
It gets your outside, moving, carrying, and bending. Gardening, raking leaves, shoveling snow- all things that need to be done and keep you active and healthy.
Find A Class You Enjoy
A hockey team, a Zumba class, tap dance, or ninja drills. If you have an activity you look forward to it won’t be working out. This can be in addition to your regularly scheduled workouts to help you get active.
Get excited about staying active and being able to do things you enjoy. Exercise and movement aren’t a punishment but a reward. Not all of us are able to exercise.
5-Minute Mobility Sessions
Upper back mobility and hip mobility are crucial for staying strong, healthy, and mobile. And the best way to get started is to choose 2-3 mobility drills and work them into a 5-minute sequence.
It doesn't take long to do but these 5-minute sessions add up and make a huge difference.
Make Better Dates
Dates with friends and with partners always center around food. A lot of sitting and sometimes chatting (coffee, lunch, dinner, food, a show, etc.).
Instead, grab a girlfriend and go for a walk. Go hiking with the hubby. Try a new group or sport with a group of friends.
Whatever it is, just make it some sort of movement. You don’t need to give up your friends in order to move more but sometimes it is worth asking if you’re being supported. Like-minded friends go a long way.
5-Minute Strength Workouts
If you have 5-minutes rock a quick workout! This 5-minute busy morning workout is great to do before work in the morning, throughout the day, or whenever you need a bit of a pick me up.
In fact you can challenge yourself to a 5-minute workout every day to boost your activity!
Don’t forget to pin these tips on 10 ways to be more active!
More Tips To Stay Active
Below are a few more ideas to keep you on track with your fitness and health goals.
- Best female workout plan
- Weight loss hacks
- How to drink more water when you hate it
- Healthy habits to change your life
- How to eat more protein
Final Tips
Keep it simple and focus on movement, not workouts.
Every little bit makes a difference. Being healthy isn’t just about your workouts but about your lifestyle. Humans weren’t made to live on the couch, sit in cars, or at the table all day.
We were made to move. Don’t think you need to spend hours in the gym, make what you do outside of the gym work for you.
Get active, fit, and healthy by moving throughout the day (and maybe even possibly enjoying it!), not just during your gym sessions.
linda spiker
Great ideas and LOVE your bathing suit top 🙂
Ella
I've recently been going to a gym near me that plans my workouts for me, which has been a real time-saver. But, I've been looking for more ways to stay active throughout the day, and these are great tips! I always forget how worn out I get after doing yard work or playing outside with my kids.
fitasamamabear
Yes! Gym workouts are great, don't get me wrong it's about so much more! Kids alone are a workout haha I just try to keep up!