Create a movement action plan

Outside of the 30 minutes/ day of planned physical activity, there are hundreds of opportunities to get some extra movement in.  Implementing these extra movements has now become your active action plan to get moving! Below you will find two lists, one for work and one for daily life.  Don’t try to incorporate all of these at once. Pick an easy one from the list and implement it or if you are already doing something and think you can add to it, you can do that as well. Once that activity no longer requires a lot of reminders OR if you find that the option you chose just isn’t being implemented, pick something else from the lists below and get to work implementing!  Remember, the benefits of movement only last as long as you keep moving, if you go back to a sedentary lifestyle all of the risk factors we discussed last week come creeping back in.

Action Ideas for Work

Use the stairs whenever possible

Take a leisurley  5-10 minute walk after lunch before you sit back down to work

Keep your water bottle across the room so you have to stand up and move every time you want a sip of water.

Whenever possible, stand for activities that don’t need to be completed sitting like stapling, sorting, reading paper documents

Brainstorming has been proven more effective when walking, take a walk whenever you need to think through a solution.

Stop at the nearest park on your route and walk a lap before you head home

Walk to a co-worker’s desk instead of emailing or calling

Take the long route walking to meetings

Take a walk break everytime you take a coffee or tea break.

Take the long route whenever you need to use the restroom

Stand up and talk when on the phone.

Schedule walking meetings with colleagues

Plan a walk break whenever  you switch from one task to another during your day

Break up every hour of sitting by doing some basic stretches or joint mobility (esp. Neck, shoulders, spine, hips!)

Park at the furthest spot from the building in your parking lot.

Action Ideas for Daily Life

Take a family walk after dinner

Get an activity tracker to measure your steps per day and slowly try to beat your average

Walk your dog daily (bonus: if you do this at the same time of the day every day, your dog will begin to remind you what time it is!)

Replace Sunday drives with Sunday walks

Make a house rule that everyone has to stand up during commercial breaks or between shows 

Walk up escalators and walk on moving walkways instead of just standing.

Walk a little bit faster while doing errands

Pace the sidelines at your kid’s athletic games or practices.

Walk up and down every aisle at the store regardless of what is on your shopping list

Every year or ½ year pick out a new activity to try as a hobby

Stand up and move every 6 pages of a book you are reading or pace while you read!

Stand up and walk while you are talking on your cell phone

Get down on the floor and play with your kids 15-30 minutes every day

Research the dance moves to your favorite songs and see if you can do them