It can be extremely hard to get moving when you just can’t seem to find the energy or the motivation. It may seem like a harmless trait, but leading an extremely sedentary life can lead to serious health problems as you get older. One thing’s for sure. Doing a little bit is much better than not moving at all. Try out these easy tips to help you get a little bit fitter and more active.
1. Find Time
No matter how busy you are, there is always just 20 minutes that you can set aside for at least 3 days of the week. Write out your schedule, down to the time you take for each activity. You’re sure to find that little slot where you can push in a 20-minute workout.
2. Eliminate One Unhealthy Food Or Drink From Your Diet
It could be that daily soda or that chocolate bar from the vending machine after lunch. Find something unhealthy that you eat regularly and take it out of your diet. You may choose to replace it as well. If you can’t go without something sweet at the end of your meal, try substituting with plain, fresh fruit. Replace your soda with plain seltzer water if you’re really missing the fizzy taste. You can add herbs or slices of citrus to change up the flavor. It’s a whole lot healthier than all that extra sugar in your coke.
3. Take The Stairs Instead Of The Elevator
If you can’t find the time to fit in an actual fitness regime, do a little bit throughout your day. Even if you work on the 30th floor, take the elevator up to the 28th and walk up from there. That little amount of physical activity can really help even if it feels like it doesn’t make a difference.
4. Park Further Away
Whether you’re showing up to work or going shopping, park further away from the building so that you can walk down. Not only will you get another little dose of activity, but you’ll also save time and avoid the frustration of going around in circles in the parking lot
5. Make A Great Playlist
Put on your favorite song and go for a run or jog. The music will make it seem less dreary and repetitive. Just make sure that it’s music that pumps you up and makes you want to move. Leave the mellow stuff for when you’re unwinding. Start with running for the duration of just one song if that’s what’s comfortable for you. Slowly build your playlist’s run time, so you can increase yours.
6. Don’t Stay Stationary
Even if you’re watching TV, you can add in a 5-minute workout when the commercials are running. Jog on the spot or do crunches and sit ups in the time that it takes for your TV show to return. Remember, doing something is better than doing nothing.
7. Squeeze In A Mini Workout
You could be waiting for the laundry to be done or just loafing around. If this is the case, try the rule of 100s. Do 100 seconds of intense activity whenever you have a spare two minutes. You could try a 100-second plank, 100 seconds of jumping jacks or 100 seconds of marching on the spot. You could even try some light yoga.
8. Dance
Even if you’ve got two left feet, you have to admit to doing this in the privacy of your own home with no one to judge you. Dancing can be incredibly fun, which makes it great as a form of exercise. This is good news if you’re the kind of person that gets easily bored. You can just go ahead and jam to your favorite tunes or use the dance workouts and choreography tutorials available online for free. Dance workouts are specifically designed to help you exercise your entire body. Don’t really focus on what you look like. As long as you’re moving as much as possible, you’ll feel the results.
9. Leave Reminders For Yourself
Put reminders down on Post-Its and leave them where you will see them every day. Make sure to put plenty on your fridge and snack cupboards. This will be especially useful when those midnight cravings hit and you reach for snacks that you shouldn’t eat. They should be inspiring enough for you to realize that the bag of potato chips in your hand is going to counter any and all of your effort.
10. Walk And Talk
Whenever you know you’re going to be on a long phone call, go for a walk. Even if you’re just pacing back and forth inside your house, any sort of movement is good movement. Walking is just enough to keep your body active and it won’t distract you from your conversation.
11. Eat Grapefruit
This one might sound a little strange, but grapefruit has actually been proven to help weight loss. However, the mechanism of how it does so is still not clear. Studies have shown that eating half a grapefruit with every meal resulted in a significant amount of weight loss in the participants, as compared to those who did not consume grapefruit.1
Our lifestyle, unfortunately, forces us to spend most of our time sitting down in one spot for long periods of time. If we’re doing the same when we get home, our bodies will suffer the consequences soon enough. Use these tips and tricks if you can’t seem to convince yourself to get up off the couch. Get out there and get moving!
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