7 Stress-Free Ways to Incorporate Physical Activity Into Your Day!

Actionable steps to incorporate more physical activity into your already busy life.

HEALTH AND WELLNESSPHYSICAL ACTIVITYEXERCISE IMPROVES HEALTH

Kara Baker

3/20/20243 min read

person wearing orange and gray Nike shoes walking on gray concrete stairs

Physically activity is so much more than just running or lifting weights to lose weight. It is a lifeline when you are feeling frustrated and need to blow off some steam, it is a great decompressor when you feel anxious, and it boosts your mood when struggling with depression. Exercise also improves your metabolism, blood sugar regulation, sleep habits, mental state, bone density, stress response, hormones, and longevity. To not move is not really an option anymore.

We look at our ancestors and see them constantly moving throughout the day, whether farming, housekeeping, walking to and from the barns and stores, hunting and gathering food, the list goes on. Now, we drive everywhere, sit at our jobs, and sit at home after a long day. Our bodies were designed to move! So what can we do to implement more activity without adding stress?

Find activities you enjoy! I cannot stress this one enough. If you enjoy kayaking then go kayaking. If you enjoy pickleball, play pickleball. You get my point. The more you enjoy something the more likely you will make it a priority.
Find people to do said activity with! Support and accountability are vital to keeping lasting habits alive. So find some mom friends and go walking once a week, join a sports team, invite a friend over to do a YouTube workout video together.
Finding ways to walk more. Whether parking farther away, taking the stairs, walking during commercials, or getting a treadmill so you can walk while checking emails. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health, so aiming for 10,000 steps a day is priority.
Weight lifting is another important activity. It is not just for those looking to “get buff” it is extremely important for us at all ages to improve muscle mass and bone density. Both of these decrease over time so to maintain we need weight training. Many times as people start weight training they find out it is a lot more fun than it may look!
Play with your kids! Kiddos need lots of physical activity during the day so make time to go run around with them, play tag, play basketball, invite them to do a kid friendly workout video. Kids will see you prioritizing your health and will follow suit.
Skip the HIIT or any high intensity training. Unless you are in the best physical condition and have optimal vitamin and mineral levels your body is already working from a state of stress and adding intense workouts will only deplete you instead of build you up. Again, opt for walking and weights.
Progress over perfection. This means if you miss a week of working out, who cares! Start again. If you look at it as a way to support your overall health and longevity it is easier to make it a part of your daily life and not a contest.