Many people the world over don’t get the amount of physical activity that their bodies and minds desperately need. Without an adequate amount of exercise each day, you can start to gain weight, lose mobility, become depressed, and much more. However, many people struggle with finding the motivation to get up and move during the day.
Luckily, there are things you can do to make exercise more appealing, easier to do, or just something that can quickly become a habit in your life. To show you how this can be done, here are three ways to encourage yourself to get more physical activity each day.
Get A Dog
For many people, it’s much harder to get out and get moving when they’re by themselves as opposed to when they have someone else that they’re accountable to. But while you might not be ready to get yourself a personal trainer yet, something that many people can get is a dog.
Because dogs have to get outside and get their energy out, having a dog can be a great way to remind yourself that you need exercise too. To help you make the most of this, Heart.org recommends that you actually walk with your dog rather than taking him or her to a dog park to play on their own. By doing this, not only will you both be getting exercise, but you’ll also be able to avoid other dogs that might get too excited and bite people or pets when at a dog park.
Strategically Place Exercise Equipment
When it seems like being active is too much of a leap from your current habits, many people simply don’t try to start this new routine in the first place. But if you can find a way to get some exercise doing the things you already do, you might have better luck with making it stick.
One way to do this, according to ChooseMyPlate.gov, is to do little exercises while doing things like talking on the phone, watching TV, or just walking around your house. To make this even easier, try strategically placing hand weights by your couch or ankle weights by your dresser. This will serve to remind you to multitask with exercise and whatever else you were planning on doing in the first place.
Set A Step Goal
While many people think that they need to start off with running or other big-time investments when they want to be more physically active, simply making small adjustments that will get you moving more during the day can make a world of difference.
To start your progress, Madeline R. Vann, a contributor to Everyday Health, suggests setting a step goal for each day and wearing a pedometer to help you keep track of how much you’re walking.
If you’re ready to make some small changes that will help you become more active each day, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing just that.
