5 ways to get more exercise into your day to day activities

Make exercise a significant part of your every day life, not as something you HAVE to do and you will gain more benefit as a result. Why? well - it comes down to something we have discussed many times - you will always find time to do those things that you want to do and like to do. So learn to like exercise and reap the benefits.  

1. Take the stairs instead of the lift. In fact, every time you get up and go to the bathroom, make a habit of going to a bathroom on a different floor to the one you currently work on. Sounds strange, but the additional few minutes of exercise you get each and every day as a result will soon become obvious. 
2. Save money and lose weight by catching public transport. Taking the car to the office can make us lazy when it comes to food and exercise. When you know you have a bus to catch you can't sleep in, or if you do, you know you're going to have to run to catch it. Then when you get to the other end, you can't simply get out of the car - walk across the tarmac and into the office building. Walking from the bus stop to the office can increase the daily number of steps that we take every day. However, if there is a bus stop right outside the office door, then don't cheat - get off one or two stops before so you can get the exercise your body needs. 
3. Walk as if you are late for an appointment - this one simple trick can up your walk rate intensity quite dramatically, and you burn far more kilojoules as a result. 
4. Turn your house into a gym. Now I don't mean buy oodles of exercise equipment that you won't use, but consider some simple things. If you have a multi-level home, think about using the bathroom on the other floors to where you are currently now. Yes, stair climbing again. Do your own vacuuming - if you do it already, move to music and dance through your cleaning. Believe it or not, the faster the music, the faster you clean (well I do). Scrub the floors rather than mop them. This one is hard on the knees, but is a great all round exercise for the body.....and great for the floors too. And yes I do get on my hands and knees and scrub the floors - kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and everywhere there is a tiled floor on a regular basis.  Similarly - window cleaning can be a great overhead stretch opportunity. I have large picture windows, so during my cleaning spree I will clean at least a couple of them each week - inside and out. Whilst the entire house never gets done in one go (I don't have the time - no really I don't) the house does get a couple of sparkling windows each week.
5. When it's cold and wet outside - exercise indoors. There are some great places to exercise today. From ice skating rinks to indoor velodromes and dance studios. Sign up for a class or two and exercise with a difference. The added benefit of learning how to do something new also has an added effect - it exercises the mind too, and that can be a great way to prevent things like Alzheimer's....because your mind has to get active to learn the new patterns and movements. Oh and pay for the classes up front....that way you are guaranteed to go.