Topic: Incorporating exercise into daily life, in ways big and small

[AQB24712]

Sort of like the weight loss tips and tricks discussion, although there we talk a lot about food.  "Incorporate exercise into your daily life" is a common piece of advice.  How do you do it?

I park at the parking deck instead of on the street in front of my workplace.  It's not far—maybe a block—but that's at least a little bit of walking. 

I never use my arms to boost me in rising from a seated position.

I have a pair of (light-ish) dumbbells at my desk, so I can occasionally do some arm and shoulder work, especially nice if I can feel my shoulders and upper back getting tired and tight.  There are two more pairs on the rug in my living room, easy to grab and do a little something.

I'm trying to get up every hour or so to walk around a little, especially since I tend to work long days.  Also trying to get into the habit of going upstairs to use the toidy instead of the one just down the hall.

I have one of these air cushions on my desk chair at work.  (Please ignore all the wifty-woo-woo on that site; I don't think that's where I got mine.)  The idea is that you have to keep your core muscles engaged just to stay upright, kind of like a flattened exercise ball.  I can do isometrics for the abs by leaning back (and lifting my feet off the floor).

What do you do?

[Tatyana]

I catch the train to work, and from the station to the hospital, it is a good 15 minute walk, and uphill.

I don't have lunch during my lunch break, so I will typically either walk downtown, or go for a walk in the County Park near the hospital (it really is lovely, Langdon hills with loads of bridle paths, rolling hills and wooded areas), and I have quite a few people at work that I will walk with.

I used to run at lunch, but I have been suffering from Plantar's fascitis (sp) lately, so I have to take it easy.

We do all of our grocery shopping without a car, and while it is only about a twenty minute walk down town, it does increase the effort by carrying a load of groceries back (the same with shopping during my lunch hour).

[WC]

Standing desk.

Cycle instead of drive.

Always take the stairs.

Walk walk walk, listen to audiobooks and turn walking into fun time.

Watch flicks or teevee on an eliptical or spinner or treadmill. Turn downtime vegging in front of the boobtube into happy fun time on a machine.

If I get too pissed about something and can't get out of it, I excuse myself for a moment and do jumping jacks. It's weird but effective.

[WC]

We do all of our grocery shopping without a car, and while it is only about a twenty minute walk down town, it does increase the effort by carrying a load of groceries back (the same with shopping during my lunch hour).

This is something I started at a very early age. So many lovely and pleasant things go into this that are lost on a motorist doing errands. Exercise, getting out, fresh air, enjoying the day, podcasts and audibooks when alone, enjoying the company of my partner or friend when they're along; that's always the best, bonding with my significant other talking about our thoughts and our days, taking little detours, looking at the world around us and admiring it or laughing at it. Wonderful stuff.

And then hauling back the goods, which were picked out far wiser and healthier and lighter, and less, due to the logistics of getting them back and thinking about physical fitness.

[Johnny Slick]

I headbutt old ladies when walking down the street. That increases my walking muscles and my headbutting muscles at the same time.

[Karyn]

We walk everywhere, unless it's more than 3 miles away.  We can get 99% of everything we need with that.  Walk to and from work, plus I volunteer to do anything at work that involves getting out of the building somewhere.  I'd use the stairs at work, but they lock the doors so you can't actually go up them to get to your office.  I'm 30 floors up, and I'd love to be able to do this every day.  Bastards.

[lonely moa]

Chainsaws, fencing, breaks, shoveling, surprises, ancient machinery... it all adds up to physical labour.  Maybe that's why I have to try to hang onto my 65 kgs.

[Plastique]

I'm basically sedentary. Except running 5 days a week and working out 4. That might sound flippant, but I really think I might spend too much time in a seat with terrible posture.

I heard a news item saying that regardless of whether you work out, being sedentary is profoundly bad for health, and that you don't get life-lengthening benefits from working out as such, rather from being active all day. No idea as to the veracity of this. Gave me pause, though.

[Johnny Slick]

I've heard basically the same thing. Unfortunately I don't see any way I can get around it. I can't exactly run around while talking to people on the phone for a living, or for that matter do the same while programming. During the couple months I'm giving myself coming up here, I plan on walking a ways to or from whichever library I choose to use every day, but I kind of doubt that will help much either.

[Karyn]

I find this website endlessly helpful.

Take microbreaks at work.

[David E.]

I walk 1 mile on my lunch break.  I walk 3 every other night (just got home from it) and that walk is hard and hilly.  At work I take micro breaks and do a great deal of stretching and tai-chair-chi.  (TM.)  I use weights when I can. 

I am trying to get less plumpy.