Move more – 10 tips to increase your activity levels

Physical activity is good for health and any sort of activity counts – it doesn’t have to be long fitness sessions. Even if you don’t have time for an exercise session in your daily schedule, there are ways you can be more active. There are 10 ideas here of ways to move more in your everyday life.

#1 Walk more

Stop using your car for short distances, or if you need to drive, park a bit further away.  If you take the bus or train, get off a stop early and walk the rest.

#2 Stairs

Use the stairs instead of taking the lift at work and in stores.

#3 Take up cycling

Cycling is a great way to get around towns and cities, especially in areas where there are cycle paths.  It’s often faster than getting stuck in traffic queues and you can leave a bicycle pretty much anywhere, so no need to worry about finding somewhere to park.

#4 Do mini workouts

Don’t discount short workouts as not being worth it.  Doing several short sessions a week can make a big difference to your fitness.  Try these quick workouts.

#5 Walk on your lunch break

This is a good time to set aside for a walk and a lunchtime walk will help to offset the health risks of sitting all day.  Try this walk plan.

#6 get up earlier

Get up 15 minutes earlier each day and go for a walk or do a home exercise routine before breakfast.  Here’s one to try.

#7 Move more at work

If you have a job which involves a lot of sitting, you can still find ways be more active at work.

Go to see colleagues at their desk instead of calling them and use drinks machines, printers, photocopiers etc. on another floor.

#8 Don’t stand still

Don’t stand/sit around waiting.  If you arrive early for picking someone up, get out of the car and walk around.  If you’re waiting for the kettle to boil/something to cook, do some squats or these wall exercises.

#9 Do a fitness challenge

Fitness challenges are a good way to get started with workouts for several reasons:

• They are usually a short workout, so finding the time to fit them in is easy.
• There is often a specific goal to work towards (eg 200 squats) and each day’s progress towards this goal is clear.
• They can help to establish a regular habit of making time to exercise.
• Focusing on a particular aspect of fitness makes it easier to see improvement than it is with an all-round workout program.  This increases motivation.
• Finishing the challenge gives a sense of achievement.
• Doing a challenge for 30 days and then moving on to something else helps to avoid boredom with exercise.

#10 Do stretching routines