Have you been wondering how to squeeze more movement into your daily routines? Or do you find yourself stressing out about that gym membership you let lapse a few years ago? If so, you’re not alone: Most Americans are too sedentary. Some alarming statistics from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

Under-five percent of adults get 30 minutes of physical activity daily
28 percent of Americans (all ages over six) are not physically active
Over 80 percent of adults do not get enough aerobic and muscle-building exercise

Sedentary lifestyles are thought to contribute to life-threatening diseases including cardiovascular problems, cancer, and type 2 Diabetes. Lack of exercise is almost as bad as smoking, and experts estimate it reduces our lifespan by an average of two years! The good news is that getting regular movement into your routine isn’t as hard as you might think--read on for some ideas.

Help Your Body Out

If we step away from all the scare tactics and warnings, as well as the “weight loss” reasons behind regular exercise, we’ll see that there are so many reasons to build realistic, long-term movement habits into your lifestyle.Regular movement and physical activity:

Supports waste removal
Strengthens the immune system
Helps fight infection
Reduces depression and anxiety
Maintains strength and flexibility
Promotes healthy bones and muscles
Supports agility and balance
Promotes healing
Reduces chronic and acute pain

Focusing on all the ways that movement helps our bodies, rather than worrying about what happens if we don’t get “enough,” can help us stick with routines.

When should you exercise?

If you’ve followed weight loss or fitness advice through the years, you may have seen conflicting advice about exercise--this can be confusing and overwhelming!For instance, you might be wondering if it’s better to exercise in the morning, midday or in the evening. The answer is...all of the above. A 2012 research study from the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University found that there was a greater benefit to spreading exercise throughout the day versus getting continuous exercise in one 30 minute dose.And in his research on Blue Zones--places around the world with the highest populations of centenarians--, journalist Dan Buettner found that people in these places move around every 20 minutes or so. Getting 30 minutes of light cardio a day (think a brisk walk or slow jog) is an excellent goal, but the truth is that incorporating movement into every part of your day is the best thing for your health.

5 Ways to Incorporate More Movement Into Your Daily Routine

Have you ever promised yourself you’d hit the gym four days a week, and find you can barely drag yourself to a single session? That’s because it’s simply unrealistic to go from (mostly) sedentary to being a gym rat! It takes time and patience to build movement into your plans, and it can be done in small steps. The key is to find activities that fit your existing routines, that aren’t overly challenging, and that align with your values. Your goal is to make exercise an enjoyable habit rather than a chore! Here are some suggestions.

Walk or Bike to Work

How to build more movement into your daily routines

A major 2017 study from the British Medical Journal revealed that people who commute by bicycle had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death in general. Walking was also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. If health alone isn’t enough of a motivator for this one, calculate how much you can save in gas and car insurance in a year and see if that works! And work with small goals--for instance, start with one day a week, and add a day each month.

Make Exercise Your Social Time

If you know you already enjoy certain activities, or you know you want to try new ones, talk about it with friends and family.You may be surprised that just talking about things you like can open the door to new social and family activities all around. One idea is to reserve Sundays for family outings like a bike ride or hike. This is a fun, free activity that will help you get that family bonding time in, too. Making a commitment with a friend is a great way to simply have a social routine every week. And community leagues and teams that are non-competitive can be a great way to meet people in your neighborhood.

Work on Your Mental Health

If you’ve been wanting to improve your mental health through something like meditation, why not carve out a little extra time to incorporate some gentle stretching at the same time?

Step Away From the Desk

Unfortunately, desk jobs are a key contributor to health problems including back pain and repetitive stress injuries. Here are some things you can do around the office:

If you can’t walk to work, park farther away each morning
Find a walking partner for lunch breaks
Set a timer to remind you to move around every hour
Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Get to Know Your Neighborhood

Taking regular walks around the neighborhood, running errands on foot, exploring local parks are all ways of incorporating more movement into a day.

Start Building a Long-Term Health Plan Today

A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to or cause high blood pressure, pain, anxiety, injuries, and other serious health problems. So if you’re struggling to get exercise, I recommend starting with three 10-minute blocks of movement into each day--I promise, you’ll barely notice it! If you’re suffering from ongoing injuries that are keeping you sedentary, acupuncture can help you get your life back--naturally.Reach out today for a free consultation.

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you :

How to Prevent and Relieve Tension When Working from Home

3 Uncommon Strategies to Help with Sleep

5 Choices I’m Making to Keep My Immunity Strong and My Stress Level Low

Keeping Things in Balance – Pillar 3: Movement

Help Your Body Out

When should you exercise?