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Stay Active With Everyday Activities
Legwork. Take the stairs, not the escalator, or park far away from the mall entrance and hoof it to the stores. Add a block or two to your route home from the train station or bus stop on your evening commute. Instead of asking someone to go upstairs to get your sweater or a pair of shoes, do it yourself.
No outsourcing. Shovel your driveway, mow your lawn, wash your car. You’ll save money, too.
Step aerobics. Wear a pedometer to chart every step you take -- fancier models track calories burned, distance walked, and more. This will motivate you to do more as you see your efforts tally up. Experts recommend aiming for 10,000 steps a day. To get started, log on to Pedometers USA.
Short and sweet. Exercise physiologists have long known that doing short, intense sprints delivers the same benefits as a longer run at a slower pace. Two good heart-thumping routines: Jump rope for three minutes in the backyard or basement, or create a circuit of sprints right outside of your front door by running the distance between two phone poles at full speed, walking between the next two to rest, running again...and so on.
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