In today’s technology filled world, life continues to become more convenient in many ways. While convenience enables us to get things done more efficiently, allowing us to accomplish more in less time, it sometimes can detract from the amount of physical activity we build into our lives. It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of our daily lives, but making a few small changes can significantly increase the amount of physical activity we are doing. Here are several ways you can sneak some physical activity back into your daily life:
1. Park far away: When heading to the grocery store, the mall, or even work, we often circle the parking lot trying to find the closet spot to the door. Next time you go somewhere in your car, trying parking in a spot that is far from the door. By doing so, you could double (or even triple!) the amount of steps you would be taking to walk inside. Bonus: there are usually less cars parked far away, meaning the likelihood of someone opening their car door too quickly and denting your car decreases!
2. Take the stairs: Perhaps you work on the fourth floor of your building or your doctor’s office is on the second floor. Instead of heading for the elevator or escalator, opt for the stairs instead! Climbing one flight of stairs can burn around 10 calories, which is about 9 calories per flight more than you would burn standing in the elevator! While this number may seem small, climbing several flights of stairs a few times per day can increase your overall calorie burn for the day by a decent amount. Bonus disadvantage-turned-advantage: the stairs are often further away or harder to find than the elevator, increasing your daily step count as well!
3. Ditch the shopping cart: Next time you head to the grocery store to pick up a few things, grab a hand basket or bring reusable bags instead of pushing a shopping cart around. Fill the basket or reusable bags with your items and carry it around the store. You’ll get a good arm workout!
4. Email and text less: It’s very easy these days to share quick information with coworkers via email or texts when they are right down the hall. Next time you need to tell a coworker something, get up and walk to their desk rather than just firing off a quick email. You’ll get a little exercise in the process, plus it’ll give you a nice break from your work!
5. Set activity alarms: Set an alarm on your phone every hour to get up and walk for 5 minutes. Sitting at your desk all day for long hours can be detrimental to your health and can also be quite boring. Take 5 minutes every hour to get those legs moving and get some fresh air. This also gives you a break from your work and can keep you from getting too tired throughout the day.
6. Make after-dinner walks a routine: After dinner, take a walk with your spouse or family, or even by yourself. This is a good way to unwind from the day, catch up with whomever you’re walking with, and add some extra activity in to your day. Instead of sitting down after dinner to digest, get outside and enjoy some fresh air with family and friends!
7. Invest in an activity tracker: Use technology to your advantage and get a Fitbit, Jawbone, Nike Fuel Band, or any other activity tracker! As Maggie explained in last week’s blog post, while the accuracy of activity trackers isn’t always perfect, they are proven to increase the activity levels of the wearer up to 30-40%. Have an Apple iPhone? The Health app (white square with a small pink heart in it) that comes on every iPhone can also track your steps, distance traveled, and stairs climbed throughout the day. But be careful with this- the phone must be on your person the whole day in order to properly track everything, a disadvantage that often makes small, wearable activity trackers more appealing.