The Movement Challenge: 6 Ways to Move More
This month I’ve been challenging myself to MOVE.
Now this may sound pretty straight forward and obvious, but if I’m being honest with you (and myself), some days I’m really bad at moving. I work in an office where I sit for most of the day, whether at my desk or in meetings, and when it’s a busy day I am usually “chained” to my desk. (Not really, but you get the idea.)
I mentioned in my Monthly Roundup: 7 March Favorites blog post I received a Fitbit HR recently from my fiance. I love it but it also was a visual reminder that I didn’t move enough during the day. It alerts me every hour to walk at least 250 steps and on some days in March, I would go a few hours (if not most of the day) without walking a single step from 9-5 p.m. (Terrible, I know.)
They say sitting is the new smoking, so this month I decided to do something about it.
I still work at a desk job so my 9-5 p.m. schedule can’t change too much, but here are a few habits I’ve started to incorporate more movement into the day.
I’m changing my “I can’t” to “I will.” Before action comes the mindset. I sometimes say, “I don’t have time.” That’s not true. I do make time for what is important to me. If movement was important to me (and it is), then the mindset must change. In April I began changing my thinking from “I don’t have time” to “I will have time.” Using an “I will” statement is a promise I don’t want to break.
I wake up earlier. Let’s be honest here, we love sleep. I’m not a self-proclaimed morning person but this month I’ve been trying to wake up 1 – 1.5 hours earlier than I did in March. When I wake up earlier, it is so difficult to get out of bed, but when I’m up, there are no excuses to skip my workout. I can’t say “I don’t have time,” because I do! So I roll out of bed and do Insanity and by 7:30 a.m. (when I’d usually wake up), I’ve already completed 3 healthy habits: more sweat, more steps, and more water.
I park farther away. Granted, the parking garage is directly below my office building so I don’t have to walk blocks to arrive at my desk. BUT, parking farther away from the entrance makes me walk farther and therefore, move more.
I take the stairs. I refuse to go on an elevator unless I absolutely have to. In the mall, at the office, in a hotel… wherever it might be, I don’t take the elevator. I opt for the stairs. It gets my heart pumping a bit if there are multiple flights to climb and it is also an easy way to get more movement in my day.
I drink more water. This is a win-win because you a) drink more water and b) walk to re-fill the bottle. This month I’ve tried to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day, which is honestly a lot harder then I originally thought. Consequently I’m less hungry, feel healthier, and consume less coffee (sad but good).
I walk laps around the office. I can get so buried in a task that I don’t even realize I need a mental break. My Fitbit HR helps me out because it buzzes a reminder that I need to walk before the hour is up. It’s my cue to stop what I’m doing and take a lap around the office. Even a 5-minute mental break from looking at a screen makes me feel refreshed and motivated to do my best work.
I’ve enjoyed The Movement Challenge so far. It’s not only been a positive change, but a much needed one. What are some ways you add movement to your day? Leave a comment below!