How to Incorporate More Movement into Your Daily Routine

These days, an awful lot of us spend and awful lot of time sitting for long hours at a time. We sit at our desks, in our cars, or on our couches, usually for far longer than is likely good for us. This has lead to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for many people. The thing is, it’s very easy to get used to living this way. So many of us do it for so long, that we forget that it’s a problem; just as easily as we forget to make time to move.

At Foodie Fellas, we put a lot of care into our content regarding nutrition and proper diet. That said, we are also concerned with health, in general, and the secret to maintaining good health and keeping up with good nutrition, comes from building a solid base. Exercise of any kind, helps keeps this base sturdy, and living a mostly sedentary lifestyle has been proven negatively impact our health. Thus, we come to the purpose of this article.

In this article, our aim is to help you to incorporate more movement into your daily routine. Ideally, we would like to accomplish this without having you overhaul your entire life. Also, we are completely aware that most readers cannot realistically commit to spending hours at the gym to make up for their previous sedentary setbacks . If you could, you probably wouldn’t need us.

The key to bringing a bit of action into your life will be by making small, consistent changes. Small steps can create big strides in the long run, and even tiny tweaks can add up to significant benefits for your physical and mental well-being. So stand up and take a quick second to read this article while pacing the room. By the time you’re done, we guarantee that you’ll have the tools to make movement a natural and enjoyable part of your everyday life.

Why Daily Movement Matters

Let’s get down to brass tacks here; movement is essential for maintaining a healthy body and a mind. The more we sit and stew in our own juices, the more those juices make their way into our thighs, our bellies, and our brains. Science has proven to us time and time again that engaging in regular physical activity supports a number of healthy bodily functions including, cardiovascular, digestive, and neurological health.

When we exercise, we work our muscles, which improves muscular strength and enhances flexibility. In terms of brain function, moving or exercising in any way boosts our mood by releasing endorphins. At the same time, working out can reduce stress levels (which is a boon in these stressful modern times) and can even improves cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the brain!

The problem that most of us have is not usually with motivation. Indeed, most of us want to get up and move when we have the opportunity. The problem seems to be that the opportunities for “making time for exercise” never seem to come. But that’s just an excuse; we’re very sorry to be the bearer of such harsh news, but it is. The fact is, plenty of busy, professional people make time to exercise every single day, and that means we can all find some time to do so. One trick is to find ways to integrate movement seamlessly into our already busy days. If we can do even that, we can avoid the pitfalls of prolonged inactivity.

Start Your Day with Movement

Morning Stretching or Yoga

No one wants to get out of bed in the morning to workout, especially if you’ve already gotten used to living a more sedentary existence. The thing is, getting up a teensy bit earlier to kickstart your day with light stretching or a yoga routine is a great way to incorporate movement into your schedule.

There are other bonuses to doing a morning workout beyond it just being, the best time to do some exercise. Morning movement wakes up your physical body, while setting a more positive tone for the day to follow. Even a scant, 5-10 minute routine focusing on flexibility and mindfulness can improve circulation, relieve stiffness, and prepare you mentally for the tasks ahead.

Example Routine:

• Cat-cow stretches to loosen the spine.
• Standing forward folds for hamstring flexibility.
• Gentle sun salutations to energize your body.

Short Walk or Jog

Maybe yoga isn’t your thing. Perhaps you’d rather take a stroll around the block? If you think you have time for 10-minute yoga break, then going for a brisk walk or jog around your neighborhood should be no problem whatsoever. Walking or even speedily walking can be a calming way to connect with nature, breathe fresh air, and get your heart rate up before the demands of the day take over.

Incorporate Movement at Work

Desk Exercises

A lot of us have desk jobs (this writer included) and those jobs typically come with the added “bonus” of spending many hours a day sitting on our ever-growing butts. That said, too many of us forget that we aren’t actually glued to our chairs. As it happens, research suggests that taking time to walk away from our desks throughout the day can not only make us feel better and avoid some of the health problems that plague office workers, it can actually make us more productive!

If you can’t get up that often, however, or the day seems to get away from you more often than not, you could try desk exercises. Desk exercises are simple and effective little movements that you can use to become more physically active throughout your workday.

Examples:

• Seated Leg Lifts: Extend one leg at a time and hold for a few seconds to engage your core.
• Chair Twists: Rotate your torso while sitting to stretch your spine and improve posture.
• Calf Raises: Stand up and raise your heels off the ground to strengthen your calves and improve circulation.

Walking Meetings

If you work in an environment that has a lot of meetings, why not try to suggest walking meetings for the group rather than sitting in a conference room? Walking while discussing ideas not only adds steps to your day, but there is also some proof that it stimulates creativity and collaboration; which is great for team brainstorming sessions!

Take the Stairs

If you have an elevator in your office, get used to not using it! Opting to take the stairs instead, will provide you with an excellent way to strengthen your lower body and boost cardiovascular health, all without ever really trying.

Make Everyday Activities More Active

Errands with a Twist

We all have errands that take us out of the house for a time, even if we don’t want to. If you’re trying to get more active, turning your errands into opportunities for movement is a great way to tack on some unintentional exercise. For example, when you go to the store, try and park further from the store entrance to add a couple extra steps. Skip the shopping card and carry a basket instead. This will help engage your upper body. Heck, you could even ride your bike to the store rather than driving if it’s close enough. Plus, it’ll help the environment.

Active Housework

Got some chores to do around the house? Turn those chores into mini workouts. Vacuuming, mopping, gardening, and even decluttering require bending, lifting, and walking, all of which can burn calories and keep your body active. If you want to jazz up your cleaning routine a bit, turn on the radio and dance your way through those chores babeeey!

Take Advantage of Breaks

Lunch Break Walks

Most of us get at least one lunch or meal break throughout the workday, so use that time wisely. Go for a walk before or after you eat, even if it’s just around the perimeter of the. building or down the street to the sandwich shop. On a busy, stressful workday, even a 15-20 minute walk can refresh your mind and body.

Stretch Breaks

Set a timer to remind yourself to take a 5-minute movement break every hour throughout the day. Even just standing up to stretch or walk to the water cooler can help keep your muscles limber and your spirits high. It will also help to counteract the effects of sitting for long periods.

Engage in Family or Social Activities

Play with Kids or Pets

As parents, most of us would probably want to spend more time with our kids than we currently do. Play is great for kids and it’s also an excellent way to help improve the familial bonds we all want. So take some time every day to play tag, hide-and-seek, or throw a ball around with your children. If you have pets, the same theory applies. Most of the time, our puppies and kitties could use more activity just like we could.

Schedule Active Outings

Instead of meeting friends for coffee or dinner, try planning active outings. Go on a hike or go bowling, hit up that old roller rink, or take your coffee into the local park. By combining socialization with movement, we are killing two mental, physical, and emotionally-enriching activities with one stone.

Family Walks After Dinner

Make after-dinner walks a family tradition for you and yours. This simple activity doesn’t just aid in digestion, it provides an opportunity to connect with loved ones, and add a few extra steps to your day.

Transform Your Commute

Walk or Bike

If you work close to the office, why not map out the route and see if you can walk or bike a few days a week instead of driving. If the weather permits it, this can go a long way in incorporating meaningful movement into your routine. For those of us with longer commutes, we might consider parking a few blocks away or getting off public transportation one stop early to incorporate walking into the total journey.

Explore Fun Activities and Hobbies

Dance Classes

If time permits, new hobbies are a great way to add some pep to your nonexistent step. Dancing, for example, combines fitness and expression with creativity. Whether it’s Zumba, salsa, or ballet, dancing keeps you moving and improves coordination and endurance.

Recreational Sports

Want to reclaim your old college physique? Try joining a local sports league or signing up for a pick-up game of basketball, soccer, or tennis. Playing sports not only adds movement to your day, it’s a great way to make new friends or enhance relationships with old ones.

Outdoor Adventures

Not all of us are the outdoorsy type, but it’s helpful to consider outdoor hobbies when trying to add in opportunities for movement. Hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing are all fairly easy to get into, depending on your neck of the woods, and nearly all of these activities provide a full-body workout.

Build Habits Around Movement

Morning and Evening Routines

We touched on morning workouts earlier, but the evening is also a fine time to do a bit of stretching, yoga, or light exercises. You might feel a bit tired at first, but taking these moments to do some movement even a few times can help them develop into rituals that frame the edges of your day.

Set Goals and Track Progress

Almost every phone, smartwatch, and wearable device has some use a pedometer. Using pedometers, fitness trackers, or smartphone app to set daily step goals and monitor them is a great way to keep track of progress and see if the new schedule is working.

Reward Yourself

Set small rewards for meeting movement goals such as treating yourself to a relaxing bubble bath, shiny bauble or gadget, or a sweet (low-calorie) treat now and then.

Make Movement Accessible

Home Workout Equipment

You don’t necessarily need a Pelaton to keep up with daily fitness goals. Even small fitness tools like resistance bands, dumbbells, or a yoga mat in your home can make working out feel that much easier. After all, it’s not such a chore to squeeze in a workout when you know you don’t have to go all the way to the gym.

Incorporate Movement into Entertainment

Standing or using a treadmill desk while watching TV or working can take your movement goals to the next level. This isn’t always possible in an office setting or even at home without a serious investment, but if you can wangle it, it could be the tool you need.

Stay Consistent and Adaptable

Focus on Enjoyment

The secret sauce to all of this is to find activities that you genuinely enjoy doing. You don’t want movement to feel like a chore, you want it to be fun. If you don’t like doing it, you’re far less likely to stick with it in the long-term.

Be Flexible

Finally, don’t beat yourself up too much if you find you don’t have time for movement some days. Deadlines change, emergencies happen, and some days become more crowded than others. The important thing to understand is that missing your workout isn’t the end of the world. If things come up and you have the power to do so, try and adjust your movement goals to fit the new schedule. Even a little movement each day is better than none.