We all know that daily physical activity is important. But sometimes it just seems so hard to get there – especially during the strange and stressful 12 months we’ve just experienced.
Here’s some encouragement: Making a few small changes to your daily routine can help to improve your overall wellness and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
Why Fight the Sedentary Lifestyle?
Did you know that Canadians spend the majority of their waking hours engaging in sedentary behaviour? The average Canadian adult is sitting 9.5 hours per day!
Sedentary behaviour is a health risk. It contributes to weight gain, decreases levels of good cholesterol, increases the risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and increases bone loss leading to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. That is pretty scary stuff.
Adopting Active Habits
Fortunately there are lots of ways to work physical activity into your daily routine, even when you can’t fit in a workout or play a sport. These incremental, daily changes really can have a positive impact.
It’s not just strenuous exercise that leads to fitness! Adopting simple habits and a mindset of increasing daily activity whenever possible can actually improve your overall health.
How to Fit Movement into Your Daily Routine
Here are some ideas for increasing your daily movement:
- Park further away from your destination and walk the rest of the way.
- Take short walking breaks during the day. Try getting up and walking around at least once an hour.
- Do outdoor work. Shoveling snow, mowing grass, and gardening all provide an activity boost.
- Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend down to reach items in low places.
- Add movement to housework. Focus on your posture and muscle engagement. Vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, and moving around to tidy are all good for you!
- After you wake up in the morning, do a couple of sets of crunches and push-ups or jumping jacks.
- Walk or bike whenever you can, instead of driving.
- Use the washroom farthest from your office.
- Get into the habit of taking a walk after dinner.
- Stand or walk while talking on the phone.
- Replace your coffee break with a walking break.
- If you have a dog, take him/her for a walk in the morning and at night.
- Use your treadmill or stationary bike while watching TV.
- Walk to a co-worker’s desk rather than calling or emailing.
- Take the stairs!
- Incorporate stretching exercises when sitting in your chair.
- Play actively with your family and your pets!
Incorporating movement into your daily routine is really not difficult; it’s just a matter of getting into the right mindset and looking for opportunities to move every day. The fight against a sedentary lifestyle may truly be the fight of our lives, but we are up for it!
