Staying active throughout the day is essential to help you being productive & getting more done in your waking hours.
It is important for good health at all ages and life stages to help keep your mind and body working well.
Being active isn’t hard or costly and can be very enjoyable.
Multitude Benefits of being active throughout the day
Being active provides a slew of benefits. It can help you:
– Lower stress levels
– help you manage your weight
– help you improve your cholesterol
– lower your blood pressure
– make your bones and muscles stronger
– Make joints flexible
– improve your immunity
– help you sleep better
– Have more energy
– Strengthen your heart, lungs, bones and muscles for increased energy and strength.
– improve your mood and help give you a positive outlook on life
– Improve your posture & balance
– boost your concentration and alertness
– make you more productive at work
– reduce the risks of heart disease, obesity, strokes, diabetes and some cancers & thus delay the onset of many illnesses
– improve your long-term health
– relax you and make you feel content
– Cause chemical changes in the brain that positively impact our mood.
– Add brain cells and build new connections between those cells throughout your life.
– Help prevent and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety
– Increase blood flow and oxygenate the brain.
– reduce your risk of cognitive impairment as you age
– improve your looks
– make you happier and healthier..
Following are some of the things you can do for staying active throughout the day:
1. Wake up early & start your day with exercise
This could be in any form such as walking, running, gaming, swimming etc.
2. Have a healthy & filling breakfast:
2. Have a breakfast rich in protein & fibre, essential vitamins & minerals which will help generate energy in the body.
Try to choose whole, unprocessed foods from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.
3. Stay hydrated throughout the day
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4. Engage yourself in enjoyable work
Try to take up work as much as possible which is close to your area of interest.
This is to avoid feeling bored & feel mentally upbeat at all times.
5. Do not sit continuously for long hours
Move more frequently throughout the day and sit less.
Make it a practice to get up every half an hour & move around, so that you do not feel sleepy & feel alert and attentive instead.
6. Take a break during lunch:
In mid-day, utiluze your lunch break to go for a walk with your colleagues, so as to get a change before you can prepare yourself for the latter half of the day.
7. Mentally prioritize exercise:
It’s easy to put exercise and activity to the bottom of your long to-do list. But being active is one of the most important things you can do for good health.
While it may not be possible to reduce time for other commitments, one can try to squeeze in short bursts of activity into a busy life.
8. Set minimum time for exercising
8. Engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes weekly (spaced throughout the week) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and at least 2 days weekly of muscle-strengthening exercises.
Greater health benefits may be seen with more than 300 minutes weekly of exercise.
9. Try out a sport
To make physical activity fun take up a new sport of your choice or get back into one you enjoyed when younger.
10. Help with housework
Doing some housework like dusting, vaccuming, mopping etc. will not only be of help to your family, but also engage you in much required activity every day.
Cleaning your house can incorporate a variety of muscle groups without you even realizing it.
11. Take in some fresh air
Take up an activity like cycling, which will move you from exercising indoors to outdoors.
This will help you in getting enough oxygen into your system & raise your energy levels..
12. Device an exercise plan
Make a realistic exercise plan basis your lifestyle and routine & be disciplined about following it.
13. Commit to daily exercise time
Any exercise is better than none, and you can make it quick and easy if that’s all the time you have.
By making time for activity everyday you’ll be setting yourself up for better long-term health.
14. Supplement intensive with quick exercises
Learn an exercise or two you can do quickly and easily for days when you’re feeling particularly time-poor.
15. Choose activities that appeal to you
Today, the realm of exercising has expanded to include a number of different kinds of workouts apart from gymming.
Choose one which will make you want to go back to it each time & spend time doing it.
16. Track your progress
Journal about the progress you have made in your exercise routine as self-motivation and be driven to do more by feeling good about your achievements.
17. Create opportunity for movement
Move as much as possible during the day, eg get off the bus early and walk mid way, take the stairs instead of lift, walk children to school, meet outside so you can walk while you talk, walking to shops instead of taking the car etc.
18. Counter tiredness
When you’re tired, the last thing you might feel like doing is getting up and about.
But exercising or physical activities such as a short walk or doing housework help more oxygen-rich blood move around your body, giving you an energy boost.
19. Eat slow release foods
Getting enough food and eating regular meals will help you to feel like you have enough energy to keep you going throughout the day.
Choose wholegrain and high fiber foods.
These take longer for your body to digest, so the energy in them is released in a gradual, steady way, unlike sugary foods and drinks that are broken down more quickly.
20. Get active with buddies
A great way of finding the motivation to be active is to schedule in time with a friend, family member or colleague for physical activity. This can help make the activity something to look forward to.
Try going for a walk, jog or fast-paced walk with a friend or loved one, or even play football with your children a few evenings per week.
21. Join an exercise class or club
Think about a sport or activity you would like to try out and look for clubs or classes in your area.
Most leisure centers and gyms hold regular classes which, once you sign up, should help keep you motivated to keep the activity up.
Some activity groups, particularly running and walking groups, can be free.
22. Set goals
Once you have found an activity you enjoy, set yourself an achievable goal to work towards.
For example, work towards swimming a certain number of lengths per visit to the pool, or try running a certain distance without stopping for a break each time.
Once you achieve your goals, increase them to make sure you are continuously improving.
If you are looking to set more ambitious goals, find a charity run that you can work towards.
You could also try a competitive sport that will motivate you to keep improving your performance.
23. Make physical activity part of your routine
Making physical activity part of your routine makes it more difficult to miss or forget.
It can include scheduling time on certain days of the week to take part in a sport or attend and exercise class.
It’s challenging to get used to a new routine, but as you start getting in shape, you’ll start feeling good and maybe even want to work out.
24. Eat small meals frequently
A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks every 3 to 4 hours, rather than a large meal less often.
25. Make the most of TV time
Let’s face it: we live in an age of endless TV content, all available with the simple click of a remote or swipe of a finger. Rather than being a couch potato as you wait for Netflix to ask if you’re still watching, workout as you watch.
If you’ve got some sort of exercise machine (like a stationary bike, a treadmill, or an elliptical), park it in front of the telly and hop on as you start the latest episode. Or set up a mat in your living room and get your stretch on or do some resistance or bodyweight exercises as you binge.
26. Get moving with a podcast or audiobook
Love listening to a good podcast or audiobook? Exercise or do some kind of physical activity while you listen!
Why not take a walk or run around the block as you crack the case with your fave true crime podcasters, or do some gentle stretching or yoga while you listen to the latest book of the month selection.
27. Try a stand up or walking meeting
Walking and thinking go hand in hand. In fact, according to a 2014 study, walking could increase creative output by an average of 60%.4 Take this principle to work by making your meetings mobile.
You will set an active tone for your co-workers as well as get your blood pumping and increase your caloric output. Even if you work from home, try pacing the room while on a phone call.
28. Work it while you read
Bookworms rejoice! It’s possible to make reading time more active. Instead of nestling up in your fave cozy chair with a paperback or E-reader, take your reading to the wall with wall sits.
Wall sits may sound easy, but they’re anything but, and you’ll feel the burn long before you finish that next chapter.
Or, hop on a stationary bike or treadmill while you read!
29. Workout in bed
We’ve all had those moments when the alarm goes off and getting out of bed is the last thing we want to do, especially when we’re facing an early a.m. workout.
So, why not stay nestled under the covers a little longer and do good for your body and mind by exercising in bed? That’s right, you heard us right: there are many exercises you can do without having to leave your bed or change from your PJs.
30. Turn to the net for inspiration
You can get a great workout at home for just pennies. Fitness DVDs are a great way to exercise, and many local libraries have copies you can borrow. Checking out different DVDs can be a great way to find new types of exercise you like.
Another option is to tune in to a fitness show broadcast on TV. Exercise classes of all different types are available on the internet for people of all different levels of fitness.
There are thus a number of ways of staying active that you can incorporate into your life & reap multiple benefits from it. So, get moving & start your journey towards being active today itself!