10 Ways to Move More and Exercise Less

We think that people who exercise for an hour daily are so much healthier than those who don’t, but that’s not the reality, according to this article by Katy Bowman. She makes the point that traditional exercise is only one hour out of 24 hours in a person’s day. If an exerciser and an non-exerciser spend the other 23 hours in the same way, such as sitting for long periods of time, their health are more similar than you’d guess.

To be truly healthy, the article claims, is to get moving.

If your goal this year is to become a healthy person from the inside out, don’t try to reach that goal by increasing your exercise time. Instead, aim for including as much movement as you can during your waking hours and daily life. Here are 10 ways to move more and exercise less!

1. Stand up for sitting activities. Most people work on their laptops and computers while sitting down. Try putting your laptop on a kitchen counter and surf the internet, check Facebook messages, and write your emails while standing up. Another example is to always stand up when you talk on the phone.
2. Do at least one or two cleaning tasks every day. Many families set aside a Saturday or Sunday morning for a whole-house cleaning blitz, but perhaps you should consider tackling various cleaning duties on a daily basis. Grabbing a basket and going to every room to pick up things or folding two loads of laundry while standing up at least once every day are two easy ways to move more.
3. Park further from the store and carry reusable shopping bags. Parking far is a common advice you’ve probably already heard, but have you tried it? It really is one of the best ways to move more. And bring reusable shopping bags and lug your full bags back to your car instead of putting them in a grocery cart if you can.
4. Dance while you cook or clean. Dancing is so much fun but we don’t do it enough. Have your kids join you while you swing your hips when you cook eggs and shimmy while dusting. Moving our bodies is fun!
5. Take the stairs. Skip the awkward standing-around-quietly time in the elevator and take the stairs when you can.
6. Go outside at least once a day. Biking, hiking, running, or a simple walk around the neighborhood are all great ways to move more. Even just a few minutes outside in your backyard with your kids will probably result in you kicking a ball around and moving your body much more than if you stayed indoors.
7. Hide the remote. Watching the television is a lazy pleasure, but you can get your body moving just a bit more by forgoing the remote. Whenever you need to change the channel or adjust the volume, get off the couch, walk across the room, and press the buttons on the television.
8. Adopt a dog. You’ll have to walk it a few times a day, play with it a lot, and pick up heavy dog food bags when you invite a dog into your family.
9. Take public transportation when you can. If you live in a city with decent public transportation, try to use it more often than you already do. You’ll walk between stops, do a lot of standing, and you’ll also help the environment in the process.
10.  Get on the ground. Whether you play a board game on the floor with your friends, build train tracks for your toddler, or scrub a bathroom floor with a toothbrush, simply getting down on the floor will help you move your body in ways that you don’t usually do.

The key here is to find small ways to constantly move your body. You don’t want to stick to only two or three specific body movements all day, which will only cause your body to become inflexible and lead to health problems. Move more and exercise less!