8 Simple Ways to Incorporate More Movement into your Day
As we shake off the hibernation of the Winter season, the rebirth of Spring or the promise of Summer may be giving you a bit more inspiration to get up and get moving,
Movement is a crucial part of maintaining good physical and mental health, and yet only about 16% of Canadian adults are meeting the recommended 150 mins of physical activity per week.
Sedentary lifestyles increase risks of health complications such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Daily movement is also linked with improved mood, and mental health, yet for many people they simply feel too busy or overstretched to head to the gym everyday.
It doesn’t have to be hard! Incorporating just 20 mins a day of physical activity into your day will allow you to meet the recommendations, and there are some simple ways to work movement into your regular daily routine to feel almost effortless!
1. Take a Walk After Lunch and Dinner
Taking a short walk after eating helps you digest, and can leave you feeling refreshed to get back to work, or wound down for the evening. You could do all 20 mins at once, or split it up into two shorter walks if time is an issue. Walking is an excellent and often under appreciated form of physical activity.
2. Use a Ball Chair or Standing Desk
If you work at a desk all day, you can utilise that time to support your health too! Using an exercise ball as a chair means having to engage your core muscles to remain stable. You can also bounce up and down a little while on the phone or brainstorming. A standing or walking desk can also help you get some steps and movement in, but it might be a good idea to be able to transition between standing, walking, and sitting as standing still for long periods isn’t the best either.
3. Do a 10- 20 minute Yoga Flow or Exercise Class
Don’t have an hour to carve out for a yoga class? No problem! There are hundreds of free yoga videos on Youtube in short segments of 10-60 mins. Just type in the amount of time you have and yoga (ie. 10 min Yoga) and roll out your mat. You can also find higher intensity workouts in short segments a plenty too if you’re in the mood for a quick sweat!
4. Park on the Far Side of the Parking Lot
When parking for work or running errands, park at the far end of the lot and take advantage of the extra steps. It may not seem like much, but those steps add up!
5. Take the Stairs
Taking the extra couple of minutes on the stairs could get you to your 20 minutes easily! You might even find it takes about the same time as waiting for the elevator. If you have to go really high up and aren’t ready, try taking a flight or two to start, or taking the stairs down.
6. Take Phone Calls Walking
Pacing or walking around when on the phone is something many of us feel naturally inclined to do anyway, and it can help you get to your 20 mins, maybe even in one call! Try to schedule your calls where you can take them outside on a walk if possible to get some fresh air as well.
7. Take Advantage of Wait Times
If you have to wait on hold, in line, for dinner to cook, for an appointment, or even a commercial break, take advantage of those times. Try to do some calf raises, squats, or a few lunges, etc. Use those few moments and watch them add up!
8. Have a Dance Break
No one said this had to be boring. Turn on your favourite song, and dance around to it. One song is about 3-5 mins typically, so taking a few breaks to dance it off during the day can help you get to your 20 mins with pizazz.
Finding creative ways to slip in some movement often creates a bit of a snowball effect, and you may feel yourself inspired to do more and more. Keeping a positive, curious mindset around moving is key. Remember, this isn’t a punishment. This is an investment in yourself.