Incorporating exercise into daily life

[mira]

It appears that my lifelong strategy of minimal exercise and fairly healthy eating is no longer enough to maintain a healthy weight. I might actually have to make a conscious effort to do exercise if I want my clothes to still fit me a year from now. Curse you, ageing!

I'd like to be able to incorporate exercise naturally into my daily life. I don't enjoy it enough to want to set aside special time for it in my day (e.g. going to the gym, going running, etc). I've always been a little on the lazy/disinterested side in this respect.

What are some changes that you all have made in order to include exercise in your daily life? Stuff like getting off the bus two stops early and walking, always taking the stairs, etc... I love being outside, so it's not as if I'm averse to getting my rear end up off the couch. :)

Any input welcome! Thanks!

[herbgeek]

Do you have anything you like to do that's active? Gardening/yard work? Tossing a frisbee? Or an activity that you could combine with socializing like dancing or bowling or going for a walk with a friend/child/neighbor's dog? Or an activity you could combine with doing good like a walkathon? Ever looked into letterboxing or geocaching or orienteering (all sort of excuses to be out and about walking).

I keep some Pilates gear near the TV and will do exercises while watching a favorite show. I do stretching, sometimes leg lifts while I'm waiting for the kettle to boil. At work I would always take the stairs and get up and talk to people instead of emailing. I leave the close parking spaces for people that really need them, and park further out when shopping. I chase my cats around sometimes. While this does all add up, I also force myself to get some good aerobics in, not just for weight control but because I have so much more energy when I do. Still, the treadmill is boring so matter what you do.

[Rosemary]

I walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes daily while reading/writing email, reading these forums, the news, etc.

[chrisgermany]

I try to go for a 30 min walk during lunch break at least 3x per week.
There are some colleagues who go, too. So when I feel I might be lazy today I can ask them to drag me out of the office.
I also do some weight lifiting, sometimes with DH.

[Madsen]

Mount a pullup bar in a doorway somewhere you pass through regularly -- I've got on in the passageway to my kitchen. Google "intermittent fasting" -- it's a simple lifestyle way of eating, and controlling input is, for most people, easier than controlling output. Get a kettlebell and keep it by your computer desk -- do some presses, swings, etc., now and then.

[JaneV2.0]

Intermittent fasting can be effective, but if you have overt or occult gall bladder issues, look out. rrrrrrrrrr

[pcooley]

We sold our car in 2004. Biking everywhere, especially when you are hauling children and groceries, is great exercise. Unfortunately, I managed to gain twenty-five pounds over the winter. I'm blaming it on a change in my asthma medication. Whatever the cause, I'm trying to bicycle extra to get it off. However, when you have always bicycled for utility, it feels funny to bike up the mountain, or out to the nearest town and back just for exercise.

[wallydraigle]

This isn't weight-loss level exercise, but core strength greatly facilitates other exercise, and it make you feel better and more stable: anytime you're lounging around, doing nothing, work on your abs. Do pelvic tilts, or just clench and unclench your abs and/or lower back muscles. I've been working out pretty intensely for a couple of months now, but I noticed a big change in results when I started doing this.

[janharker]

Don't think of doing something as exercise. Think of it as movement. Just find ways to keep moving. Get a headset to use while at work and walk around the room while you talk. Trade your sit-down desk for a stand-up one. Refuse to drive your car to anyplace that is within 1/2 mile of your starting point. Gardening, even if it's a pot in the living room, is movement. Doing dishes by hand is movement. Walking down the driveway instead of stopping with the car to get the mail is movement. Just move.

[wallydraigle]

I also have music on and dance while I cook or prepare sandwiches, or anything that requires standing in one spot. I'm a SAHM, so the only people around to see me look like a hugely uncoordinated dork are my children (who don't know any better) and my husband (who is also a hugely uncoordinated dork), so YMMV. :) But I do recommend it whenever you can manage it. I don't know how much it burns, but it does help me keep my energy levels up throughout the day.

[Kat]

I used to do sit-ups during commercials when I was watching TV. You can get quite a few in in 2-3 minutes! ;-) When you carry in the groceries, you can do a couple of "reps" with the bags like they are weights to work your biceps a little.

[babr]

I am like you I love to be outside and doing physical activity; when i was no longer able to drive; i started to do what i called urban hiking; I would walk my to my errands if they weren't too far and then take the bus back; even though it was in the community it still was outside

and on the weekends dh and i go to a local park to walk

its been great for my mental health since my struggles with my illness

good luck and hope you find something you enjoy

i think each of us has an individual activity that we enjoy and have it be physical at the same time; maybe its dancing; even in your own home; dh and i did that last sat. put in a cd and danced away;

[RosieTR]

We have a dog that goes bonkers if he doesn't get walked *every day*. So we walk every day in addition to any other exercise. As well, the parking lot at work is half a block from the building. Some people get the security guy to drive them, but I never do. I take the stairs at work unless I have something like a heavy box or cart that requires the elevator. At work I walk to talk to someone unless it's about a bunch of numbers or I need a written record of something that would be better served by email. I walk to the copier/printer. As well as exercise, try slowly cutting down your portions a bit, esp of high glycemic carbs (which have been shown over and over to increase inflammation, propensity for diabetes and cardiovascular problems, cancer etc). If you normally would cook a cup of rice, for example, mix half brown. If you already eat brown rice, good for you! but decrease the cup to 3/4 of a cup. "Plate" your meals like they do on chef shows with more white space than you normally would. If you have a food scale, use it to see how much you're consuming and cut it 10% or so over the next couple weeks. Etc.

[mattj]

I jump started things last year by agreeing to be the school crossing guard at the nearby elementary school.... I got a short walk in twice a day, every school day. When the weather was nicer I took the long way home and started to walk for any errands w/ in about 15 minutes by foot. Now, I try to stay dressed in clothes that are suitable for the weather and take a short, 10 minute walk between chores around the house, especially when I can't decide what to work on next... instead of stewing, hemming, hawing... I just hit the door and sort out priorities while I walk.

[mira]

I can't believe I had forgotten about this thread! Thank you all for your suggestions and advice.

It seems that the main thing is to be conscious and in many ways, creative! The idea of going to a gym or going on a run makes me feel simultaneously bored and nauseated. I'd never hack it.

[Perplexa]

One thing I've found that works really well for me (that other people have suggested) is to walk somewhere with a purpose. I used to walk four miles each way to and from work. When the weather was nice, I loved it. Most of the time, if I just go out for a walk, with no intended destination, I find some excuse to turn around within ten minutes. Another bit of advice I've heard is to find an exercise buddy. You'll have more fun and keep each other accountable.

I just finished reading a book called Spark, by John Ratey. It's all about the impact exercise has on the brain, both immediately and in the long term. As someone who works a lot more with my mind than my body (and who is young and healthy enough that worries like cancer and heart disease seem very distant), I found it far more motivating than any lectures on how exercise will keep my body healthy. Now I find myself *wanting* to get out the door for a run, because I can feel that I have more energy afterwards.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I workout fairly regularly at a fitness center, and also walk, but like wallydraigle said dancing around with yourself can be such a fun way to get movement and exercise in your day. Put some music on and dance, dance, dance!!!!!!!!

[kib]

Limiting carbs and eating more small meals seems to be helpful in maintaining as I get older. Beyond that I'm not sure how many of these would work for you, but this is what my "exercised life" looks like:

I do a lot of things standing up. For example, I cook standing up and I wash dishes standing up and between the two I'm on my feet for at least an hour. When I'm feeling more virtuous, I'll put my laptop on a counter and "compute" standing up - -also helps in limiting online time wasting. ;) I actually haul water by hand. From the bathtub to the washing machine, from the washing machine to the part of the garden that's not connected to the gray water plumbing. I estimate I carry about 1000 pounds of water approximately 60 feet in the course of a week. I hang my laundry, which includes carrying it outside, lifting it, pinning it, gathering it back up and bringing it in again. I (attempt to) grow our produce. Lots of lifting, digging, standing, squatting and walking around with that. We're not in walking distance of stores, but the area for shopping lends itself well to parking in one spot and then walking to various destinations about a block apart, rather than driving as close to each one as possible. I've found that if I think of it as exercise, my mind doesn't get stuck in the rut of thinking I'm wasting time or being inefficient by taking longer to get the errands done. We will typically watch a recorded program or movie while eating dinner. When dinner's done, I typically get on the floor and do pilates exercises or weight work as I watch the remaining part of the show. I'm sort of lazy about it, but even a little wiggling around burns a few extra calories. Finally, we try to incorporate an evening walk in our routine. I'm not particularly attached to it as exercise, but it's a helpful venue for communicating: sort of a captive audience situation and at the same time not as intense as sitting still and staring at each other.

ETA: none of these things is particularly impressive as a "workout" in itself, but when combined, I think it improves my overall level of fitness and stamina. Not sure it's enough to boost my metabolism, but it does seem to be enough to stabilize my weight at least for now.

[Perplexa]

kib, I don't think all those little things should be scoffed at. From everything I've been seeing lately, sitting all day has a negative impact on your health *even* if you do get enough aerobic exercise. Even fidgeting while you're sitting makes you healthier. Of course, standing, or fidgeting, doesn't replace a workout, but still...

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think?sc=fb&cc=fp

[Gardenarian]

Oh, I agree with standing while working! It has made a huge difference to my difficult back.

I generally walk a few miles a day and get in a yoga practice, but I think all the little things really help.

Some things I do during the day: I do push-ups leaning against the kitchen counter while waiting for water to boil, etc. I'll also do some squats. Whenever I take a bathroom break at work I use the opportunity to get in a few lunges (we have a nice large private bathroom at work.) I take a walk around the library every 45 minutes or so while working. When I've been working at the computer I break and do eye exercises and stretch my wrists.

Doing deep breathing throughout the day is really important as well.

[folkypoet]

I felt very much the same about exercise: boring, mind-numbingly dull, repetitious.... I found, though, that practicing Tai Chi (awkward as I am) and walking through wooded areas make me happy, so that's what I do. I do little things, too, like walking to and from work, parking far away, taking the stairs, dancing through the day, etc. But, the Tai Chi and the walking/hiking probably make the biggest differences.

[chord_ata]

Walking the dog is about the only automatic exercise I do.

I used to resent the time other exercise took from the rest of my day. Once I was able to give up my busier schedule, I had less resentment. I also work on meditation while on the eliptical trainer. I work out at home so that I don't lose time driving to a club.

Once or twice a week, we play Dance Dance Revolution. Combines music and stepping variations, so you can work out while half asleep and not have to discipline yourself.

[mira]

Thanks to all your suggestions, I've started to be much more conscious of how much I'm moving around throughout the day.

At work, I could spend most of the day sitting in front of a computer if I wanted, but I've been making a conscious effort to do more book-shelving (lots of bending and stretching, it's great) and run other errands, as well as ditching my chair and using the computer standing up (the desks are quite high).

At home, it's a little more difficult to drag myself off the couch sometimes! I do have little solo dance sessions on occasion and have been trying to get up the motivation to do things like vacuum and clean up on a more regular basis (yes, I'm a slacker), seeing the benefit in moving around.

This weekend my boyfriend and I cycled about 10 miles along the coastline of an island (for fun and to be in nature, rather than for just exercise). My legs were killing me, but it felt wonderful. Doing that sort of thing more often is definitely on my list...