How to Be More Active Without Making Extra Time to Exercise
You may be aware that exercise is important to your health, but did you know that physical activity outside of exercise can also help keep you healthy? Doing daily activities like walking, cleaning, and gardening can help you avoid the risks associated with physical inactivity (not moving enough). Physical inactivity is associated with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. [1,2]
Since environments are designed to make getting around and getting things done easy, it often requires conscious effort to add physical activities into the day. Research shows that walking rates are decreasing in the U.S., but walking has more than physical benefits –– it can lower stress and boost your mood, too. [1,2]
Here are some ways to add more physical activity into your daily life:
Replace sitting time with active time: Identify activities in your life that typically keep you sitting down and see how you can make them more physically active. For instance, propose a family walk or game instead of watching TV.
Track your steps: Consider using a wearable device, like a pedometer. Your smartphone may have a sensor that you can use to track your steps. Seeing how much you’re walking can help you adjust.
Stay on top of daily chores: Household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and doing yard work can help keep you active.
Break up your work with movement: If you sit while working, find ways to either move while you work or take active breaks.
Get creative to find pockets in your day where you can replace sitting with movement. It doesn’t have to be intense to make an impact, either — swapping sitting with low-intensity physical activity can have big health benefits. Moving more can help lower your risk of heart disease and other conditions. It can also help you feel, think, and sleep better. [1,2]