Staying fit can be a challenge if you don't have a plan. This goal is one of my objectives for this year, as I spend the majority of my day behind a computer (affiliate). And, the kicker is that I have a standing treadmill desk and haven't used it in 4 months. Bummer. You would think I would walk on the treadmill each day, right? But since I had a foot injury in the summer, I had to stop being active. It was hard. And every so often, I have had it flare up, making it hard for me to maintain a routine (affiliate).
Jump to:
- Park farther away from your destination.
- Try a new workout with friends
- Walk at lunch
- Take a walk with your pet every day
- Play music and cook
- Wake up before the kids.
- Remove junk food on January 1st
- Precut fruits and veggies on Sundays
- Pick recipes, then buy food
- Sweep the floors
- Brush teeth while toning
- Buy wrist weights
But now my foot feels a bit better, and I purchased supportive shoes (affiliate), I plan on changing that. But I need a plan. Below are some easy and simple ways to stay fit this year.
Park farther away from your destination.
If you need to go to the grocery store, park at the end of the parking lot and walk. With parking lots being huge these days, this can easily help you get many steps in your day.
Try a new workout with friends
Try a new exercise with others. Trying something new engages different muscles. Perhaps you've been considering trying cross-country skiing but haven't yet. Take along family and friends and make a day of it. Instead of going out to dinner for date night, try picking a trail and taking a walk with your loved one.
Walk at lunch
Schedule a 15-minute walk at lunchtime each day. Walking is an easy way to get your body into shape. And, it forces you to take lunch too. It's a win-win. =)
Take a walk with your pet every day
Take your dog for a walk. Walking your pet around the block a few times a day will help you get out, enjoy the sun, and be active without straining your body.
Play music and cook
While cooking dinner, play some music and dance in your kitchen. We love listening to music at home. So, dancing is a natural way to expend energy at the end of the day.
Wake up before the kids.
Wake up an hour earlier than the kids, and walk on the treadmill or watch an exercise video. I have done this and it works pretty well, though for me, any earlier than 5:30 AM is just plain hard. I don't have any coordination at that hour.
Remove junk food on January 1st
On January 1st, remove all forbidden foods from your home. Any temptation that deters you from your goals can be a hindrance, so not seeing it will help, especially if you are like me and work from home frequently. It's just for a little bit. You don't need to do it forever.
Precut fruits and veggies on Sundays
Precut fruit and vegetables on Sunday for the week. This tip has helped my teens eat their veggies throughout the day. On Sunday, we clean carrots, celery, and grapes, let them dry, and then bag 3-5 veggies in each bag. Then, we try it in the kitchen just for the baggies. So, when they make their lunch, they add the veggies to it. It's so easy!
Pick recipes, then buy food
Buy food for recipes only when going to the grocery store. Only go to the grocery store with a plan. So, bring along your recipes. If you always forget the paper recipe, take a picture of it and take your phone instead. =)
Sweep the floors
Sweep more instead of vacuuming. You use more energy sweeping than vacuuming. It's not my favorite thing to do, but if you want to try it. Try sweeping out your garage (affiliate) and see how that feels.
Brush teeth while toning
While brushing your teeth, do toning exercises. Any activity that works the lower body, such as brushing your teeth, works nicely. Some examples are squats and lunges.
Buy wrist weights
Buy a set of wrist weights and wear them throughout the day while cleaning your home. Wrist weights (affiliate) are nice if you are like me and have issues with holding weights in my hands.
I hope this list helps you reach your goal this year. Let's add more tips to this list. Please share your favorite tip for staying fit below so others can benefit from it. Good luck. Feel free to check out my other self-care posts!
Please note that these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate). At no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Sarah Soboleski says
I definitely agree with the getting up early before the kids to fit in your exercise. I get up a little after 6am to fit in a half hour workout before my son wakes up. I never thought about fitting in a few stretches while brushing my teeth - I'll have to try that!
Autumn says
I'm so glad you are on this journey because I am too! Waking up earlier has really been helping as well as food prepping on Sunday's. I got the Fitbit Charge 2 for Christmas and it beeps at me when I haven't gotten enough steps in so I have to get up and move. It's super helpful!
Autumn says
I'm so glad you are on this journey because I am too! Waking up early has been a big help! Also prepping food for the week on Sundays. Also I got the new Fitbit Charge 2 for Christmas and it beeps at me if I have been sitting too long and tells me how many steps to get up and do! It's really helpful. The one thing I have to improve upon is food journaling.
Hilda Rodgers says
Great tips Sabrina! I have been trying to park farther from the door and pre-cut fruits and veggies but I will try a few of these other tips too. Happy new year!
Linda Samuels says
Wow, Sabrina! These are such excellent and EASILY doable tips. I love that especially since I'm not really great when it comes to exercising. I do some back exercises and my work is fairly active, but I'm not generally a worker-outer. I do try to park farther away so I can walk more. When we had a dog we walked a lot more. Makes a case for adopting a four-legged friend. You never know 🙂
Stacey Agin Murray says
Kudos to you for getting up early to exercise! I need to get up a little earlier, too--even if it's just to stretch. I just started wearing a Fitbit to keep me moving (I, too am in front of my computer when I'm not working with clients).
I think the toughest tip to follow is 'Remove all forbidden foods from the house.' There is a tub of Trader Joe's mini chocolate chip cookies in my pantry and they are very hard to resist! I even told my husband we should consider not buying them for a while because we both like them. A LOT. Ever see a grown man start to cry? 😉
Seana Turner says
The "parking far away" thing is something I am happy to do in the summer, but since it is 6 degrees here this morning, I bet I'll be parking as close to the door as possible. Winter tends to put a cramp in my exercise, as I prefer doing something outside to working out in the gym. That said, I find anything I do when I first get up I have a much better shot of sustaining over time.
Janet Barclay says
I used to get up early to walk, but it's much less appealing when it's cold and dark out, so I adopted a rescue dog. I may still spend too many hours at my desk, but at least now I'm out walking every morning and night, rain or shine, hot or cold.
Jamie Steele says
Great tips, Sabrina. I have been parking in the furthest parking spot that I can when running errands. Every step counts!