5 simple ways to add movement into your day

Whether you are a regular exerciser or just getting started, chances are you can use some more movement in your day. Check out these five simple things you can do EVERY DAY to get moving!

1.        Park farther away from your destination.

 If you live in Philly this is definitely not hard to do, as finding street parking near your house after 6 PM is nearly impossible!  But you can do this all day long.  If you’re parking in a parking lot at the grocery store, park as far away from the door as you can.  If you’re parking in a parking garage, park at the top and take the steps down (and back up), which leads me to number 2…

2.        Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Do you want to add a little bit of extra leg and butt workout into your day?  Yes, you do!  Take the stairs whenever possible.  At home and feeling sluggish? Set your phone timer for four minutes and see how many times you can go up and down the stairs.  It will wake up your heart and your legs!

3.        Take short walks.

 An excuse I hear a lot is that there isn’t time to work out.  How about going for a 15-minute walk in the morning?  Lunch hour is also a great time to go walking for 15 or 30 minutes, and maybe get some co-workers or office mates involved as well!  Finish out your day with a brisk 15-minute walk after dinner, and congratulations, you’ve just walk 45-60 minutes today!

4.        Keep moving when you get home.

So many of us want to sit down and put our feet up as soon as we walk in the door, and understandably so!  We’ve had a long day and we’re tired.  But what if we didn’t let ourselves sit down for 30 minutes? This is a rule I use with myself every day when I get home.  I find that not letting myself sit down when I get home keeps me energized (as soon as I sit down, I want to fall asleep), and it keeps me productive.  I have to get stuff done around the house in order to keep moving!

5.       Try tiny bursts of intense activity. 

I love to do this when I’m feeling tired and need to keep myself awake.  Sometimes I do 100 jumping jacks, other times I set my timer for four minutes and see how many times I can go up and down my stairs in that amount of time.  Holding a plank for as long as you can a few times a day is a fun way to build core strength, and doing any intense cardio move (fast feet, jumping, full-body moves like burpees) is a great way to add a lift to your day and add some extra activity.