3 Easy Ways to Get Moving Today!

We are meant for more than just sitting at a desk all day. Cue in "Meant to Live" by Switchfoot.

Being physically active is a human need. Not only are we made for it, but being physically active also helps bolster your mood and even fight off depression and dementia.

Some benefits of physical activity are well-known: it helps to prevent heart disease, diabetes, and it can improve mood and mental health. But did you know that when you're physically active, you're also helping your sex drive? Yup. Blame it on a simple increase in blood flow.

It can also improve your bone mass, which means you will be less likely to suffer from osteoporosis as you age. No busted hips.

We're just talking WALKING here. I'm not even addressing what strength training will do in this post! You can check out my skinny to strong mindset shift on Instagram here, or read about how strength training changed my mindset on a past blog post/ real talk chats here.

As per usual, I digressed, let's get back to the original plot point. Most of us spend over 10 hours daily sitting. We spend most of our day on our bums in a car, sitting at a desk, or just on the couch. You KNOW that sitting for long periods of time is harmful to your health since it increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes. In fact, research shows that sitting for just two hours a day can cut your life expectancy by two years! Eww.

You know that you need to get more movement in your life, but you're not sure how to do it. Or maybe you are, but you are just not sure where to start.

I also know, you're busy. You have a lot on your plate. Between work, family, and friends, it's hard to find time to take care of yourself. But if you want to be healthy and find your path to wellness, let's make sure you're taking care of yourself as best as you can. Small simple steps will get you there.

Remember It's ok—you're not alone, and I've got some tips for making movement easier and more fun!

So how do you do it?

Simple movements daily.

1. Pace when you're on a call, brushing your teeth, or cooking. Pacing when doing simple daily activities is a sure way to increase your daily movement. Remember, we're going for simplicity.

2. Take little walking "snacks". 5-10 minute walks throughout the day. Taking a task and breaking it down into smaller tasks, helps lessens the burden of "having" to walk, into a fun little challenge for you to tackle daily. Here is an extra tip. Grab your office/cubby buddy and take a quick stroll with them around the office.

3. Set a timer to get up and walk across the hall every 30 minutes. When you set a reminder, it's easy to forget about taking breaks and focus on what you're doing at that moment. But if it's your goal to take breaks every 30 minutes, then it's easier to remember to do so!

Use the tools you already have. We are not complicating life here.

Technology has hampered us in many ways, but we can use it to our advantage. Our smartphones have activity trackers, Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Iphone's Fitness App can be used to keep track of our movement daily. Remember, this is physical activity, NOT exercise.

Track your steps and set small attainable step goals. The apps mentioned above can help you stay motivated and you may even be able to find a buddy to join a walking challenge with!

A few extra tips from Coach Ria, start with 5k steps as your main goal if you're walking less than 3k steps a day. Do this for at least 2 weeks.

Progress to 8k steps when you've maintained more than 5k steps for 2 weeks.

Once you've mastered those 8k steps for more than 3 weeks, you'll be on your way to 10k.

Come check out last week's post on increasing your physical activity. Let's increase your physical activity!

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