We all know that moving is good and sitting too much is bad for us, even if we visit the gym on a regular basis. But, I bet there are a lot of you out there who spend a lot of the day hunched over a computer with minimal movement. So, how do you move your body more if you’ve already got a jam-packed schedule?
Relax, there’s no lunchtime boot camp, hot yoga sessions or expensive treadmill desks involved in these tips. We’re giving you 5 affordable, simple and easy to apply tips to get you and your body moving once again.
And trust me, as someone whose spirit animal is either a slug or a sloth, if I can do these… so can you!
Contents
- Forget the gym.
- Pick up some new, tiny habits.
- Combine moving with your social or family life.
- Stop choosing the most convenient option
- Have a dance party
- Finding ways to move your body more is a lot easier than many people think. What will you be adding to your day?
- Resources we recommend:
- Listen to The Simplifiers Podcast
- Send Mary a voicemail to get featured!
Forget the gym.
Well, not completely. But stop associating movement and exercise as something that only happens on machines, in front of huge mirrors or in dedicated spaces. You don’t need to carve out an hour of your day or even leave your house!
There are so many at home workouts, stretching and desk movement clips to watch online that there will definitely be something you can do and fit into your day. Just search for “free home workout for beginners” on YouTube and viola!
Another benefit of these is that you can spread movement across the day, instead of hugely inactive periods of time at your desk.
Pick up some new, tiny habits.
Keep things super simple and easy with this tip. Make a deal with yourself that when you do a regular daily task, you’ll also do a specific movement. This could be 20 squats while waiting for the kettle to boil, standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or getting up and doing 15 jumping jacks when you complete a work task.
Whatever works for you and fits into your day. Associate the task with a movement and it will become second nature. And if you drink a lot of tea or coffee, that’s a lot of squats you’ll fit in without losing any time!
Combine moving with your social or family life.
Running on the treadmill with your headphones on might be good for your body but it’s a pretty solitary (and for many of us, a boring activity). Improve your life at the same time by doing activities that are fun, involve friends, meeting new people or include your family.
Do a Google search for local dance classes and see is there’s mambo, salsa or hip hop sessions – whatever your interested in! In my city I’ve been intrigued by BungeeFit – aerobics while attached to bungee cords! It looks like so much fun! You can also get out in the fresh air and go hiking while catching up on conversations.
Stop choosing the most convenient option
In our old offices, I used to use the bathrooms on the ground floor so I’d have to walk up and down several flights of stairs each time. I also try and get off the bus a few stops early when I’m not in a rush.
What can you change in your day that will get small amounts of extra movement in? Stop using the lift? Walk somewhere further away to get lunch?
Have a dance party
Sometimes you just need a burst of feel good energy, endorphins and a way to get rid of stress. Get out of that funk with a Simplifiers’ approved dance party!
Put on The Simplifiers “a whole lotta YES” playlist and get dancing! I recently had to do this during a creative writing workshop in a room full of strangers. At first it felt weird but we closed our eyes so we couldn’t see each other and just went for it! The difference in everyone’s mood, energy and productivity afterwards was huge!
Finding ways to move your body more is a lot easier than many people think. What will you be adding to your day?
Resources we recommend:
- INSTAGRAMMER: Pilates At Your Desk
- ARTICLE: The 10 Best YouTube Channels For Full At Home Workouts
- PLAYLIST: a whole lotta YES playlist by The Simplifiers
Listen to The Simplifiers Podcast
Make 2019 your best year ever with advice, guidance and tips from the expert guests who feature in The Simplifiers Podcast. Find all our episodes HERE.
Don’t forget, you can tune in to the podcast on any of these fantastic FREE platforms, whatever suits your fancy:
TuneIn | Acast | SoundCloud | YouTube | Pandora
Send Mary a voicemail to get featured!
What’s one tip that’s helping you simplify your work, or life these days?
We’ve added a fancy little vertical button which says ‘Send Mary a Voicemail’ on the right side of the website.
Here, you can record a voicemail through your phone or your laptop, and then, we can feature you on a future episode of The Simplifiers Podcast!
So, what’s one thing that’s helping you simplify these days…
- A new app that’s really helping you manage your work or
- A great book you’re loving these days or
- Maybe you’ve simplified the droves and droves of paperwork in your life (and if that’s the case, GIRL… share your secrets!!)
Leave us a message with:
- Your name
- Your business name (if you own one)
- City
- … and your one simple tip
Click on the ‘Send Mary a Voicemail’ button over there –>
Easy peasy, super simple!
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