4 Easy Ways To Stay Active Throughout the Day

Long, hefty workouts are a great way to stay in shape but that’s not the only way to exercise. There are small things that can be done throughout the day to keep our hearts pumping and our body moving.

Below are four easy ways to stay active in between everyday duties.

1. Break up monotonous work with exercise.

Long hours of work can feel overwhelming without breaks. However, those breaks can still be productive by utilizing them to get your heart rate up. This can be done most efficiently with a timer. Set a half an hour for work and a five-minute exercise break.

This will allow you to take a step away from stress and keep your body moving. Whether you work from home or in an office, these breaks can be tailored to your space.

If you work from home, do jumping jacks, push-ups or sit ups. If you’re in the office, this can be done in more understated ways such as walking up and down the stairs a couple times or doing calf raises at your desk.

Mix it up. The next five-minute break focus on legs instead of core. Do squats or wall sits. These small chunks will make both work and working out feel more doable.

2. Stand while you work.

What keeps the body and mind lazy and inactive throughout the day is getting in a habit of sitting all day. When you have work or school there may not be any other option, but these long hours of sitting can be broken up with time on your feet.

Stand up and type on your computer. If you’re at home, go to the kitchen island to work and do some calf raises while you type. While staying on your feet won’t burn an abundance of calories, over time, those calories built up from not sitting will add up.

3. Take the stairs.

During a busy day at work or school it can be all too easy to want to take the elevator instead of the stairs because it’s faster and puts less strain on the body. However, if you’re looking to stay healthy and keep your heart rate up, taking the stairs is a great way to do it without needing a long workout.

If you’re going up three floors, take the stairs. Going back down? Take the stairs again. This may feel tedious in the moment and can even be a little dreadful, but after you do this consistently, going up a flight of stairs won’t leave you so winded. You’ll start building up stamina and strength all because you took the stairs instead of the elevator.

4. Engaging your muscles while sitting.

It may sound ridiculous, but there are exercises you can do to keep your muscles engaged while you’re sitting for long periods of time. When at a desk, try squeezing your core to engage the muscle in your abdomen. Squeeze your butt to engage the glute muscles. You can even do mini calf raises by pushing off your toes under the desk.

These small exercises will help strengthen these muscles overtime. Make sure not to overdo it and squeeze your core all day long. Break each exercise up in 30-second increments, and this will allow your body to stay active all while sitting.

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Staying healthy doesn’t have to equal three hours in the gym every day. Doing small things while you are at work or school will add up over time. Try and find the right moments to break up monotonous sitting with cardio and core exercises. Keep the muscles engaged and the heart rate up and you’ll get a great workout all while at your job or in between classes.

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