Stephanie Lovely, Fitness Plus personal trainer
Ways to Boost Your Activity
by Stephanie Lovely, Fitness Plus Personal Trainer
Technology is constantly creating ways to make our lives easier and more comfortable, and although convenience is nice, it can take away from our well-being if we aren’t mindful of its cost. Where we used to walk over to see someone, now we stop by their Facebook page. Time that we used to spend walking around shopping for gifts is now spent perusing a wider selection online. Often TV, Internet and video games take the place of going places and doing things.
As a society, we’re becoming less and less active, and we’re missing out on some critical health benefits. The benefits of being active are more than building muscles, losing weight, and improving bone density and cardiovascular ability, though all of those are important incentives. Activity also promotes healthy mood, memory, and learning, according to recent reports. Every minute of movement increases brain activity, improving cognitive function, and after just 10 minutes, neural pathways are dramatically shifted.
To take advantage of these benefits, we must counteract our sedentary culture. Small steps can make a big difference, by simply being more mindful of how much we’re moving and by implementing activity into our daily lives.
Easy ways to up your daily activity are all around you. Decide to walk or bike to the store rather than drive. Meet a friend for a stroll around the park instead of meeting for a drink. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Trade movie night for concerts at Thursday Night Live or the jazz series in the park, and wear comfortable shoes so you can dance.
In the office, stay active by seeing colleagues in person rather than calling or emailing them. Trade your seated desk for a standing desk. Some people are even adding treadmill desks to their office furniture. Recent studies find that physical activity in the workplace increases productivity and creativity.
The overall energy you receive from actively moving through your daily life is far greater than the physical energy you expend.