In our modern society, it’s easy to find ourselves sitting down for a large majority of the day. From sitting down looking at our mobile phones and televisions to our jobs which are often sedentary, many people find themselves struggling to stay fit. And while joining a gym may seem like the obvious solution, the truth is that many people are put off by these kinds of environments.
Maybe they feel too intimidated by the machines or the muscular gym rats spread out all over the place, or perhaps they don’t love the idea of signing up for a membership they may not stay committed to. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to stay fit and active without having to go to the gym. Here are some of the best ways to add more physical activity to your daily life.
Get a Physical Job
A great way to incorporate more activity into your daily life is to get a job that forces you to move. Whether it’s unloading containers, teaching sports in high school, or even working in a restaurant, there are plenty of jobs that require a significant amount of movement. Plus, physical jobs can actually go by much quicker than sedentary ones. And when you compare being paid to be active to paying a gym membership, it’s easy to see how convenient this can be!
Walk to Work
If you live within 3 miles of your work, then you might want to consider walking there. Studies show that people who go walking with a specific destination to arrive as opposed to going on a walk for the sake of simply walking are much more motivated to keep up the habit. If walking every day to work isn’t an option, then consider walking once or twice a week. You can gradually increase how many times you walk to work the more that you start to see the benefits.
Clean Your House
Did you know that you can burn an average of 600 calories an hour just by cleaning your house? (The bigger your house is, and the more stairs you have, the more calories are burned, obviously.) So, if you’ve been looking around your house thinking that it needs a clean, stop putting it off! If not for the sake of tidying up, do it at least for the sake of burning a few calories! Put on a bit of music, and make cleaning a fun activity that engages your entire body!
Take the Stairs
You heard it here! The next time you have the choice between taking an elevator, or an escalator, always take the stairs! Not only will the stairs help you burn extra calories and strengthen your muscles, but often there’s fewer people on the stairs than there are on the escalator or elevator.
So, the next time you’re in a hurry, and you’re considering taking the elevator, reconsider that the stairs might just be a quicker and healthier alternative that will get you there faster.
