Many of us think of “getting active” in terms of going to the gym or joining a sports league.  Others associate activity with major lifestyle changes.  For them, activity means taking up a new habit like daily walks or weekend swimming.  These are all great activities.  But being active isn’t limited to the gym or sports.

You can also work additional activity into your daily life, in ways that won’t take a lot of time, but will raise your heart rate, exercise your muscles and burn some calories.

The key is mindfulness.  Where have you gotten accustomed to convenience, where a little physical activity would accomplish the same goals?

Here are some examples of ways to add activity to your day.

Take stairs rather than elevators when you can.

Park near the back of a parking lot, instead of as close to the door as you can get.

Choose a social activity that’ll get you moving, like dancing or a trail hike, over a sedentary activity like a movie.

Take your kids to the park on a weekend afternoon rather than sitting home playing board games.

Stand instead of sitting whenever possible.

Take grocery carts back into the store rather than leaving them in the closest corral.

Do you really need your car for that errand, or can you walk or bike instead?

A little activity is better than none on days when you can’t do a full workout.

Sometimes you will think about it and realize, yes, you need the car – you can’t fit 16 bags of groceries onto your bike, or the errand is just too far to walk in the available time.  Or maybe there’s a movie you’ve been looking forward to and you just want to chill on the couch while you watch.  There’s nothing wrong with the occasional sedentary activity.  But if you are mindful, you’ll find little ways to increase your physical activity.  Those little ways add up.

Combine them with your regular exercise – your neighbourhood walk, sports league, yoga class, gym time, trail hike or swimming – and you will naturally find yourself leading a more active lifestyle.

On days when your team isn’t playing, your gym schedule has a rest day, or you’re working morning to night, you won’t have to feel as though you’ve “done nothing.”

Develop a positive habit:  make it normal to be active.

If you’re becoming more active, your body may need some support.  Call Sheppard Chiropractic and Laser Healing at (506) 635-8182 or (506) 847-7172 and make a change for the better.  You deserve to feel your best!