If you think a gym workout offers your only regular chance to exercise, you need to explore the everyday opportunities to sneak more physical activity into your life. Try to incorporate even a few ideas into your daily or weekly schedule to boost your activity level.
- Go for a family walk after dinner.
- Whenever you drive, park your car as far away from the entrance as possible.
- Play with your kids in the backyard—shoot some hoops, play catch with a football, toss a Frisbee or even play tag.
- Record a yoga or other exercise program on TV, then participate in the comfort of your own home at a time that is convenient for you.
- Put on some after-dinner music and dance.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Get a pedometer to track the number of steps you take each day. Set a goal to slowly increase your number of daily steps.
- Make an “activity date” with your family or friends once a week to do something fun and active together, such as ice skating, swimming, or cycling. Regularly rotate the activities.
- Pick up the pace around the house and in the yard as you vacuum, dust, rake and do other household chores.
- Plant a garden and regularly weed, fertilize and prune it.
- If you’ve got a dog, take him for a nightly walk. If you don’t own a dog, offer to walk your neighbor’s dog a few times a week.
- Ask your spouse or a neighborhood buddy to walk with you a few mornings each week before work.