Being too slammed at work. The kids’ hectic activity schedule. These are just a few of the factors people talk about when trying to explain why they aren’t very physically active.
Far too many of us have an all-or-nothing attitude when it comes to staying fit. A 2018 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that only about 23% of Americans get a healthy amount of physical activity every week. Physical therapists can help you learn therapeutic exercises and find simple ways to get more active. Here are seven basic elements you can add into your daily life that truly add up to a more active lifestyle.
1. Take the longest — or hardest — distance between two points
Speed is usually the name of the game in your busy life. But does the time saved parking close to the store really add value? Making a game of parking at the far end of the lot is a simple way to stay active because you have to push a cart or carry a bag a greater distance. When you’re at work, you can try taking the stairs — unless you really are running late for that meeting!
2. Pay for your lunch — in footsteps
Skip the cafeteria in favor of a healthy eatery down the street if you’re working and need a simple way to stay active. Or, you can walk outside for 20 minutes before you return to your brown-bag lunch. If you’re retired or working from home, walk to the corner grocer’s to gather the ingredients for lunch. Living out in the country or the suburbs? Pretend that your daily walk is the “fee” you have to pay in order to get into your kitchen and make that sandwich.
3. Consider a standing desk
How do standing desks help? Well, for one thing, they’re a simple way to stay active. It’s amazing how much healthier simply standing in place is, compared to sitting. You burn more calories. You’ll also hunch less, which can reduce neck and shoulder pain. Standing also boosts fitness by keeping blood sugar more steady after a meal and by encouraging more movement overall.
4. Fool yourself into running errands
Using a smaller glass for water — or mug for green tea — means that you have to return to the water cooler or kitchen more often to fulfill your daily hydration goals. Likewise, you can make going down the hall to borrow a stapler a separate trip from hiking upstairs to ask someone in HR about your vacation schedule. If our Fitbits have taught us anything, it’s that a hundred extra steps here and there really do add up over the course of the day!
5. Use fitness benefits as an incentive to do chores
Did you know that just 20 or 30 minutes of chores a day can add up to a cleaner, more organized space and be a simple way to raise your activity level? You can certainly get a lot of small tasks accomplished during that time. You can get that dishwasher emptied. You could also mop a floor or weed your herb garden. If you remember that these dreaded tasks also burn calories and build up your core, it may help you feel more like tackling them.
6. Keep equipment handy
There’s space to keep a yoga mat or 5-pound weights under your bed. Resistance bands can be hung on a hook in the kitchen. By keeping workout equipment in such accessible places, you’ll be far more likely to do a few reps while watching a movie or waiting for dinner to cook.
7. Don’t put off physical therapy
A physical therapist can help you find simple ways to stay active and reduce the aches and pains certain activities can cause. In addition, an in-clinic physical therapy session can be a workout in itself. For instance, it can help you increase your cardiovascular fitness and strength.
Looking for a physical therapist who can help you find simple ways to stay active? Panther Physical Therapy can help
Ready to find more simple ways to stay active? Have an injury or chronic issue that’s affecting your activity level? Our therapy team at Panther Physical Therapy is here to help you. We offer free screenings designed to reveal issues like arthritis and musculoskeletal injuries. Our team also excels at building personalized therapy plans that can reduce pain and help increase your physical fitness.
Worried that you don’t have a doctor’s referral for physical therapy? Don’t worry! We don’t require that you have one before you start using any of our therapy services. Additionally, we offer at-home therapy and virtual care that can help you get the therapy you need without setting foot outside of your home.
Contact our team today for more information about our therapy services or to schedule an initial appointment.
Tags: Electrical stimulation therapy, Manual therapy, Neck injuries, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy, shoulder pain treatment