Easy Ways to Stay Active at Any Age

Whether you sit in an office all day or you’re retired and spend your day at home, it’s not uncommon to sit. A lot.

And despite the fact that sitting is seriously dangerous to our health, it seems that sitting has also become a normal part of life. As The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) discovered, people who lead sedentary lifestyles are more at risk of heart attack, stroke, depression, weight gain and more.

If that makes you uneasy, here’s how to steer clear of these negative effects and stay active as you age.

How to Stay Moving at Work

You don’t have to engage in long periods of activity to reap the health benefits of moving.

Health and lifestyle coach Tina Paymaster says that short bursts of energy can be just as effective as longer workouts. Paymaster says if you lead a generally sedentary lifestyle during the day, you should try “pushups, crunches, squats or stair climbing for a few minutes to get your metabolism revved up again.”

Jared Beckstrand of Tone and Tighten agrees that small bursts of physical activity are essential for breaking a sweat under a time crunch. Reporter Thursday Bram notes that you can also try toe-tapping jumping jacks, pretend jump ropes and chair dips to get a full body workout in just a few minutes.

To improve your posture and core during the workday, exercises that include isometrics (holds with minimal movement) are a perfect solution. Fitness writer Mark Barroso writes that isometric bicep curls, shrugs and arm raises are all easy, effective ways to build muscle.

Host Walking Meetings
We all have meetings at work, so why not take these meetings outside? Reporter Emily Peck explains that walking meetings are a great way to get moving and achieve better meeting results.

Getting outside and walking can clear the mind and open it up to more creative thinking, helping teams reach more collaborative and effective results. If just a handful of your weekly meetings are held outside, consider how much healthier and more productive you might be.

Start a Wellness Committee

Exercising with others motivates us and boosts our overall results. To drive these same results in the workplace, try starting a wellness committee.

Gary Keller, author of The One Thing, suggests that people on a wellness committee can “[assess] the current state of the office activity level, talk to other employees about the situation and come up with specific ideas for your unique workplace.”

Stand Up

A simple way to be more active at work is to swap your sitting desk for a standing one. Dietician Joe Leech says that standing can burn 170 more calories than an equal amount of sitting. It can also lower blood sugar levels, improve productivity, and improve mood and energy levels.

Moving More at Home

Even if you spend most of your days at home, there are many creative ways you can stay active and motivated.

Walking Your Dog

As demonstrated in a George Washington University study, people who walked their dogs frequently “had an overall lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those that did not, fewer chronic health problems and a lower incidence of depression.” PupLife explains that people who walk their dogs regularly are often quite healthy — but how can you keep up the habit?

Health and psychology writer Linda Wasmer Andrews says that walking your dog daily can help you build a routine. If you make it a goal to take your dog out on a daily basis, you’ll start a healthy habit that both you and your pet will enjoy.

Cleaning the House

Have you ever thought about how much physical activity is involved in cleaning?

Health researcher and exercise physiologist Travis Saunders, Ph.D. says that cleaning is an especially great workout when you have a larger home. Even when you don’t realize it, cleaning requires a fair amount of walking, lifting and stretching.

Set Movement Reminders

When you’re busy and faced with deadlines, the day can pass you by before you know it. To make sure you move enough during the day, Amber Cox recommends setting alarms.

You can set an alarm to go off each hour and remind you to stretch, walk around or engage in any other light activity that doesn’t involve sitting.

Another way to remind yourself to get active is to place small triggers around your home. Helpguide says that putting your sneakers by your bed when you go to sleep, for example, can make it easier to start that walk or run when you get up.

Yardwork and Gardening

Gardening not only provides fresh, healthy food but also improves physical health, enhances hand dexterity and strength, which is crucial as we age.

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology agrees, noting that regular physical activity can reduce joint pain and stiffness in some people with arthritis.

Author and artist Jill L. Ferguson adds that regular gardening can prevent other diseases. The therapeutic act of digging and planting can reduce cortisol levels, which minimizes your stress response and makes you happier.

Changing Your Mindset

Changing how you think about exercise can make it more enjoyable and exciting. Writer Laura McMullen advises starting small with simple activities like walking, stretching, and standing to ease into an active lifestyle.