Medically reviewed in November 2021
Do you spend more time thinking, worrying, and feeling guilty about exercise than actually doing it?
Time to get rid of all the mental stress and really get moving. The secret? Don't make it such a big event. Create a life that naturally includes some physical activity. Here are some ideas:
Exercise Your Day Away
In his book, The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest, Dan Buettner shares these ideas for living a more active daily lifestyle:
- Turn off the gadgets. Trade your TV remote, electric blender, garage-door opener, and snow blower for your feet, arms, some elbow grease, a shovel . . . you get the idea. And turn daily chores into exercise with these tips.
- Gather round. Exercise naturally becomes a habit when you turn it into a social affair. Consider starting a gardening group, an informal walking club, or a loosely organized sports group, dance club, or exercise class.
- Park it. The car that is. And leave it home while you bike, walk, or rollerblade to the store, the dry cleaner's, or the neighbor's house. Don't have any walkable errands to run?
