Let’s face it, you don't always feel like working out. But on those days you're not feeling it, you may be more active than you think.
It might come as a surprise, but many of your daily activities can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity.
“One of the first things I would look at is the typical things you do in a day,” says Ellie Pompeo, a GoodLife personal training divisional manager. “Think of how many times you go up and down the stairs, picking stuff up, moving around. It all adds up.”
Household activities count as exercise
- Vacuuming
- Housecleaning
- Grocery shopping
- Gardening
One of the best ways to get your heart rate up when cleaning is to crank your favourite music and let the beat get you moving and, before you know it, you’ll not only have a clean house, but got in some exercise.
We all need groceries and, while we can order them online, why not make the trip to the grocery store and park a little further away to add some extra steps to your day?
If you have kids, be a kid again with them
The next time you take the kids to the park, rather than sitting on a bench and watching them play, why not get involved and be part of the fun? Go down the slide, push the kids on the swing, play tag. Not only will you burn some calories, but you’ll bring out that inner child and probably have a lot of fun.
Pompeo recommends doing all the things you loved as a kid and, if you can introduce new things to your own kids, all the better.
“In personal training when we do goal setting with people and something that comes to the surface a lot is wanting to be a great role model for their children,” says Pompeo. “So, making those simple, little changes in their day-to-day with their kids can go a really long way.”
Outdoor chores count as exercise, too
- Cutting grass
- Gardening/weeding
- Watering plants
- Snow shovelling in winter
Cutting your lawn gets you moving and can become a weekly exercise habit that you don’t even realize how much you enjoy.