You’ve probably heard the headlines about sitting being the new smoking.  And spending an hour at the gym everyday isn’t enough to counteract all the sitting.  So I’ve been trying to think of ways to be more active throughout the day.  Being a student, blogger, and office manager give me quite a few reasons to sit still in front of a computer, so I definitely need reminders to get up and moving during the day.

In my new office at my administrative job, the light happens to be connected to a motion sensor. So if it doesn’t sense any activity after about 5 minutes, the lights go out. And when the lights go out I can’t just wave an arm to get them to come back on, I have to stand up. I’ve decided that whenever the lights go out, I have to get up and do 10 reps of some exercise. Jumping jacks, push-ups, lunges, squats, whatever I can respectably do in whatever outfit/shoes I’m wearing. It never hurts to add a little more activity to your day. When my boss caught me doing jumping jacks she thought it was weird at first, but when I explained, she thought it was brilliant and has told numerous clients about it, and is trying to get her husband to install a motion sensor on his home office so he moves more. You never know who you’ll inspire by showing off your dedication to your health.

Whatever gets you moving is the first step. Whether you incorporate a walk before or after you leave the house. Or add in some lunges before you hop in the shower. These little activities trigger you to think about other ways to add movement to your day. They don’t have to take long, and they don’t have to make you sweaty, but they’ll help you get up and active.

If you use a computer for most of the day (which is probably everyone), you might look into getting some RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) software to use as a reminder to take a break.  Not only is this good for your eyes, as you’re reminded to take a break and focus on something far away for a bit, but you can also use it as a motivator to get up, stretch, do some light exercises, take a walk around the room, drink some water, etc.

Here are some other ideas for how to increase your activity:

• use a fitness tracker – try to beat your steps from yesterday
• do 5 squats every time you sit down
• do calf raises while brushing your teeth
• jog in place while you reheat your food
• do bicep curls/overhead press with the jug of milk every time you take it out of the fridge
• park in the furthest corner of the parking lot
• take the stairs to a restroom on a different floor

How do/would you incorporate more activity in your daily routine?  Would you be embarrassed if you were caught doing jumping jacks at the office?