Six Sneaky Ways to Move More!

Did you know that the American Heart Association recommends 150 min of moderate intensity cardio exercise each week for heart health?

Are you thinking “UGH - How in the world am I supposed to achieve THAT when I’m already struggling to get everything else done?”

Never fear! I’ve got some simple tips for you to sneak in more movement throughout your day! 

1.Let’s start by breaking the recommended goal of 150 min/week into smaller daily goals. 

Divide the recommended goal of 150 minutes by 5 days per week and you get 30 minutes per day. For most people, thinking about moving for 30 minutes, five days per week is much more manageable than thinking about 150 minutes TOTAL.

2. Now - let’s take that 30 minute daily goal and break it down EVEN MORE! 

What if you could go for a walk at lunch for 15 minutes and a walk after dinner for 15 minutes that COMBINED helps you meet your goal of 30 minutes?! Even 10 minutes 3x/day gets you there too! Also, it doesn’t have to be walking … Other ideas include: dancing, riding a bike, roller skating, hula hooping, jumping on a trampoline. Whatever you enjoy! Just get your heart rate up a little and HAVE FUN! 

3. Set reminders or appointments. 

Let’s be honest, we’ve all got smartphones these days. Many of us sit in front of a computer for work all day. So, use that smartphone and that computer to your advantage! Set a reminder or a timer on your smart phone to remind yourself to get up and MOVE! Schedule a movement “appointment” with yourself. Honor yourself by honoring that appointment. When the appointment comes around or the timer goes off, don’t bail on YOURSELF! Get up, turn on some music and MOVE! I promise, you’ll be glad you did!

4. If you work at an office with others, invite your co-workers to walking meetings. 

You can walk in the office or outside in the parking lot. The most important part is that you MOVE! Also, you may find that your brain gets a little more energized from the physical activity and you all get more accomplished! 

5. Do you need to talk to someone down the hall or on another floor? 

Then, get up and walk to their desk vs calling/messaging them! Sometimes face-to-face is best AND you’ll get a new view while you’re at it!

6. Catch up with a friend while walking

Do you need to catch up with a friend, call mom and dad, return calls from the day? Grab your phone and your earbuds and walk and talk - whether that person is with you or a thousand miles away .. You can catch up AND get steps in at the same time! 

So, what have we learned? The goal is to get at least 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular exercise. You can do as little as 15 minutes at a time to “count” towards this goal! 

Set reminders and appointments so that you’ll get up and MOVE!

Include others! Try a walking meeting, walk to a co-worker’s desk, catch up with friends and family (near and far) while walking! 

If you find it hard to make movement a habit, let’s talk! I provide structure, support and accountability to all my health coaching clients. It might be just what you need to create a habit!