Moving 30 minutes a day is one of the best things we can do for ourselves – it improves our sleep, physical and mental health. But unfortunately, we don’t always have time to sneak a workout in each day. That’s where the idea of movement minutes comes in – while you might not have time to get to the gym, exercise and shower, you can at least find a few minutes in your day to stretch, squat or even skip! The idea is that you’re still breaking up your day with movement to get your blood flowing and prevent long stretches of sitting. Keeping your focus on fitness can help encourage you to make healthier choices throughout your day as well. Here are 18 ways to add more movement into every part of your day.
Adding movement in the morning:
What better way to start your day than with a little movement? If you’re not a morning workout person, no worries – there are still plenty of great ways to add a few minutes of motion and start your morning off on the right note!
- Stretch for 5 minutes. Right when you get out of bed, take five minutes to stretch, whether that’s through a yoga practice or just whatever movement feels good. This is a great way to wake up, too!
- Do squats or lunges while you brush your teeth. Since you only need one arm to brush your teeth, put the rest of your body to good use for those two minutes!
- Energize your coffee routine. If possible, walk or bike to get coffee instead of driving. Or, do some more stretching while you wait for your cup to brew.
Adding movement on your commute:
Think commutes have to be passive? Think again! Believe it or not, there are still ways you can move your body, even if your body is moving to another destination. Just remember, if you’re driving, keep your eyes on the road!
- Walk or bike instead of driving. While it’s not possible for everyone, commuting without a motorized vehicle is a great way to add movement to your day.
- Do glute clenches or calf raises. If you’re seated in a car or on public transit, try clenching your glute muscles or abs to sneak in some extra movement. Just make sure you focus on the road!
- Stand on public transit. If there’s space, stand rather than sit on public transit, and take the opportunity to do some calf raises!
- Park farther away. Rather than circling for the closest parking spot, try parking at the end of the lot to get a few extra steps in before you reach your office.
Adding movement at the office:
If your day job requires a lot of movement, awesome! No need to worry about including exercise throughout your day. But if you’re at a traditional office job and sitting at a desk for most of the day, here are a few ways to sneak in those movement minutes by exercising at your desk.
- Take phone calls standing or walking. When you’re on the phone, the rest of your body is free to move around freely.
- Invite your coworkers to walking meetings. Get the whole office in on movement minutes by holding meetings either standing up or walking around.
- Try a standing desk. As its name implies, a standing desk is a great way to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting. Standing is also a great opportunity to try micro-movements like calf raises.
- Set a timer to stand up and stretch every 30 minutes. This is an easy way to avoid prolonged periods of sitting.
- Do a lunch break workout. If you struggle to make it to the gym before or after work, why not try during? We’ve got a no-equipment lunch break workout that we think you’ll love!
- Take the stairs. Going to see a coworker on another floor? Take the stairs! Stairs are one of the easiest ways to add more movement into your workday. Eating your lunch on a different floor can help add movement – and new perspective – as well.
- Sit on a stability ball. Unlike a desk chair, a stability ball challenges you to hold your body in place, which works your muscles throughout the day.
- Try an under-desk elliptical. That’s right, ellipticals aren’t just for the gym! Investing in one of these awesome machines is a great way to get your legs moving, especially if your office doesn’t accommodate standing desks. You can get your movement in and get your blood flowing without even leaving your desk.
Adding movement at home:
You’d be surprised at the little ways in which time at home can turn into a workout. Chores are a great place to start, but it’s easy to incorporate movement into your leisure time, too!
- Move while you cook. If you’re on dinner duty, turn on some tunes to encourage dancing or other movement while you cook (or wash dishes). Or, try making a healthy casserole that bakes for an hour so you can sneak a workout in! Wooden spoon microphones are strongly encouraged.
- Turn cleaning into cardio. Chores certainly aren’t a bore when you can think of them as your workout for the day! If you’ve got some deep cleaning to do, lace up your sneakers and try to make the most out of the movement, whether you’re vacuuming, sweeping or wiping down counters.
- Make leisure time more active. Resting and taking time for leisure is really important – but if you ever need to choose it over a workout, know that it doesn’t have to be 100 percent passive! Set up a stationary bike in front of your TV so that you’re encouraged to move instead of watching from the couch. Or, stand up and do stretches or bodyweight exercise during every commercial break. If you prefer other leisure activities like reading, try standing up or walking around the house.
