As a personal trainer and lifelong gym rat, it’s easy to take for granted my ongoing love of lifting weights and running, as well as the easy access to gym equipment and regular free time.
But I’m frequently reminded that that’s not always the case for most people. Many are busy parents, others are not the biggest fans of traditional exercise, and still others don’t have access to much in the way of fitness equipment.
These situations are tough to navigate, and I empathize. But luckily, I have been doing this long enough that I have a veritable treasure trove of tactics and tools to navigate these obstacles and then some.
Sometimes we just don’t have enough time (or energy) to fit in a full-blown workout. Or maybe we’re in a rut and feeling less than motivated (hey, it happens to us all!). Movement snacks (breaking up general movement or a workout into multiple, smaller bits throughout the day) or OTMs (opportunities to move) are simple ways to keep our bodies in motion even when life gets chaotic and exercise feels like too much.
How to Sneak More Movement Into Your Busy Day:
1. Take the Stairs and Park Further Away.
Let’s start with the most obvious and easiest tip. Simply take more steps during your daily activities, whether that’s climbing a few flights of stairs instead of riding the elevator or escalator or parking towards the back of the parking lot. Make more trips bringing the groceries in from the car or up the stairs while cleaning or putting laundry away. I’ve been doing this more lately, and according to my FitBit and Whoop band, it really adds up.
2. Have a Private Dance Party.
Turn on your favorite playlist and dance like no one’s watching (alone is the only way I’ll dance period, lol!). Pretend you’re at a Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert and sing and jump your heart out. Be shameless and just enjoy feeling the emotion of the music and your body moving in ways that feel good.
3. Create an AM/PM Routine.
Commit to doing 2-10 minutes of activity after waking and before bed. This can include push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, stretching, yoga, walking, anything. This is a great way to build some good momentum to eventually build up to a solid workout duration as well as the general habit of moving everyday. Attaching a new behavior to a trigger or cue like waking up or getting ready for bed is an effective way to make sure you remember to actually do the new healthy habit.
4. Work It Out.
Every 30-90 minutes throughout the work day, fit in a few sets of various bodyweight exercises, stretching, or walking. Set an alarm or reminder alert if you have to, especially if you tend to get sucked into your work. Your tense muscles and stress levels will thank you!
5. Stand or Walk While You Work
Something that has become more and more popular lately is the use of standing desks and under-desk treadmills. We know that sitting all day is detrimental to our overall health and can cause or worsen issues, such as tight or weak muscles, poor posture, back and neck pain, and more.
After I injured my hip and had surgery, my physical therapist’s number one recommendation was to stand more and sit less, even if it was just 10 minutes of standing every hour. Sitting only made my aggravated hip joint stiff and achy. I struggle with this still, but I’ve been thinking of getting a treadmill to walk on while I work on my laptop (still doing research on brands, but I will keep you updated!).
5. Take a Break
Take a walk or do some yoga or stretching during your lunch break, or do something whenever a commercial comes on while you’re watching television at home. I know, I know, we have the ability to watch our favorite shows on DVR and fast forward through them, but why not do something good for our bodies while we indulge?
6. Stack Your Habits
Habit stacking refers to adding a new habit to an old one to better cement the new behavior. I mentioned this concept above with the AM/PM routines. Adding some stretching, walking, or exercises to an existing activity, such has brushing your teeth, cooking dinner, doing chores, brewing your coffee, or walking in the door after work, really works. The new habit becomes a no-brainer since the existing habit is already locked and loaded and acts as the cue. There’s no ambiguity as to when you’ll get around to doing it; the decision’s already made.
These are just a few simple tips for moving more throughout your day, even when you don’t really feel like it, or are just starting out and feel intimidated by a full-out exercise routine. Going slow is perfectly fine and is effective for changing habits and creating a healthy lifestyle you actually enjoy and stick with long-term.