How to Fit More Activity into Your Daily Routine

A hectic lifestyle can affect your health in many ways. In addition to increasing stress, being busy can also prevent you from including physical activity in your daily routine. Regular physical activity is the key to good health, as it offers numerous benefits.

Partaking in exercise can help enhance your cognitive abilities, fortify your bones and muscles, and reduce the risk of disease when combined with a nutritious diet. In fact, activity can have a positive effect on all your bodily systems.

While getting started can be a challenge when dealing with a busy lifestyle, the benefits are more than worth it. Here are some small but effective steps you can take to get started down the path of better health:

• Increase Exercise Time Gradually – Start with 15-minute exercise increments and build up to longer workout sessions. Gradual increases are especially important for people who haven’t regularly exercised in quite a while.
• Make Phone Time Count – When talking on the phone, don’t just sit there. Instead, walk around your home to burn calories while you chat. Walking is an easy and convenient way to increase physical activity, even without leaving home.
• Park Far from Stores When Shopping – Instead of parking next to the entrance, park far away from supermarkets and other stores. If you take the bus, get off before your stop to get in some extra steps.
• Stretch Throughout the Day – Stretching is great for your muscles and joints. When sitting for long periods, try to stretch at least once per hour. If your mobility is limited, try stretching from a chair until you feel strong enough to stand.
• Use Lunch Breaks Wisely – Try to fit in a 10-minute walk each day at lunch. If you can’t walk outside, walk inside the building, and use the stairs for a more rigorous workout. Not only will walking at lunch benefit your health, but it can also help reduce stress.

Identifying your fitness goals can also help motivate you to be more active. For instance, you may have a dream of completing a 5k one day. Your goals may also be more modest, such as hiking with your friends without getting winded.

Both goals can be achieved when you start small and work towards more intensive activities. Every little bit helps on your path to wellness as you create and maintain a healthy lifestyle for yourself.

How Technology Can Help You Increase Activity Levels

In addition to the above steps, you can also use tools like Fitbit and Apple Health to track your exercise progress. Even better, data from these health trackers can be uploaded to DrOwl, a free app that enables you to keep your important medical information in one convenient place.

This app also allows you to sync your complete health history, add new medical documents, and save up to 80% on your medications. With DrOwl, it’s never been easier to get started on the path to wellness.