As summer activities wrap up, it’s essential to maintain an active lifestyle throughout the year. These year-round fitness tips will help you stay motivated and fit in every season, whether indoors or outdoors.
After the many travels of summer vacations comes the day-to-day routines of work and family life. However, with the return of routine can also come fewer activities and more sedentary days. Sweet Life Wellness invites you to take a walk through some of the ways to keep up your active summer lifestyle even after the vacations are over. Maryland dietitian Kay Loughrey shares ten tips to continue being active, which in turn will also help you keep living a happy life at a healthy weight!
Keeping physically active can be easier said than done during the busyness of an average work week. While vacations can offer the time and energy to be able to do more activities, work and daily life responsibilities can be draining and time consuming, limiting the amount you are able to keep active. Yet being active with your body is so vital to your health, weight loss goals, and overall wellness of life! Various health risks have been identified in connection to a lack of regular exercise, often called a sedentary lifestyle. Some health risks include:
- Unwanted weight gain
- Loss of muscle strength
- Weaker bones
- Weakened Immune System
- Hormone irregularities
- Risk for high blood pressure
- Risk for several cancers
- Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Daily exercise can prevent each of those health risks, yet although it can seem daunting, it is not impossible or unattainable. Some studies have suggested that even two and a half hours of moderate-intensity activity per week can positively impact your health, both mental and physical! You might be wondering how to fit even that small amount of exercise into your daily routine when life is already so busy. Sweet Life Wellness has your answers in these next ten tips:
- Start slow!
We all know we have the tendency to want to “go, go, go” as fast as possible when we begin something new. But truly, for the sake of your health (and your desire to want to continue exercising!) start off slowly! If you can only do one hour a week of activity, that is still better than none, and little by little you can begin building a routine of consistent exercise. One day you’ll discover that it’s so much a part of your routine that you can’t go without it!
- Pick up the pace!
Consider how you conduct your everyday comings and goings. Do you walk leisurely through the grocery store? Or take your time getting the mail? Think about your responsibilities around the house. Are those times of slowly moving from one task to another? One way to increase exercise in your life could be to turn all of those “normal” happenings into exercise opportunities. Simply increase the pace at which you walk, or complete tasks and you will experience exercise without having to set aside any extra time!
- The Standing Desk
If you have a job that requires you to complete desk work, consider a standing desk! Standing engages the muscles in your legs, allowing you to have a workout while you’re working.
- Take the stairs!
Yes, it is lovely to just step onto the escalator or elevator and let them do their thing while you relax and check emails and messages. But these moments of movement are the perfect opportunity to include exercise in your life! While the stairs require you to focus on stepping instead of your phone, the impact on your daily health is so worth it.
- Daily Walks
Pick a time of day and establish that as your “daily walk” time. This could be in the morning before leaving for work, during your lunch break, or after you get home to help you process your day. The goal is to have a consistent time spent walking and moving your body! Besides having positive impacts on your health and weight loss journey, you will also find it’s the perfect opportunity to invite others along for a walk and talk.
- Find your active hobby!
Everyone has their own specific interests, the things that bring them joy. For some it’s kayaking a calm river and for others it’s a cool morning on the golf course with good friends. Perhaps you don’t have an active hobby yet, but the wonderful news is that it’s never too late to start! Try new sports, activities, and adventures until you find something that brings you joy every time you do it. Then do it as often as you can! You will look forward to exercising and your body will thank you for it.
- Parking .. choose the farther spot!
While it might seem convenient to park as close as possible to the store (and the cart return!), parking farther away gives you the chance to walk even more in your day-to-day routine.
- Invite others!
Any activity you do – biking, walking, golfing, running, kayaking – gives you the chance to invite others along in your active journey! Not only will you be sharing a social experience together, but you will also be inviting them to become more active as well, something they might not have wanted to do on their own. Furthermore, inviting others gives you the added benefit of accountability. If you know your friend is going to meet you at the tennis court for a match, you know you can’t skip out!
- Go explore!
One of the best ways to enjoy a spontaneous active adventure is to explore a nearby trail or hiking path. Being present in nature can help with stress levels and fresh air is always a bonus. Of course, you should always be sure to pick trails and paths that are best for your level of exploring. But once you have researched and picked a spot, invite a few friends and head for the trails!
- Walk or bike when you can!
While it might be so convenient to hop in the car and drive that mile or two to the store or other errand destination, walking or biking these short distances can be a wonderful way to add a bit of exercise to your daily routine. Don’t forget to practice sun safety by wearing sunscreen and drinking plenty of water!
Exercising consistently can feel daunting, especially if you don’t already have a routine built into your day to today. But with these simple tips, you will find that adding exercise to your routine is easier than you think. Not only will your muscles and joints feel better, but your progress in your weight loss journey will continue to see positive results. All it takes is a short walk here and a set of stairs there!
Resources
Author (or name of organization responsible for site). Website title. Name of Website (if different from author). URL. Date published. Date Updated. Accessed date.
National Library of Medicine. Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/healthrisksofaninactivelifestyle.html. Updated June 27, 2017. Accessed August 2, 2023.
National Library of Medicine. Ways to Burn More Calories Every Day. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000894.htm. Updated June 6, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2023.
National Library of Medicine. Exercise and Activity for Weight Loss. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000385.htm. Updated July 21, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2023.
National Library of Medicine. Learn to Love Exercise. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000764.htm. Updated May 12, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2023.
National Library of Medicine. How Much Exercise Do I Need? MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/howmuchexercisedoineed.html. Updated May 7, 2019. Accessed August 2, 2023.
National Library of Medicine. Benefits of Exercise. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/benefitsofexercise.html. Updated August 30, 2017. Accessed August 2, 2023.
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Karis N. Hicks
North Carolina Central University
M.S. – Nutrition Studies
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