What better way to be active than walking? It’s already a HUGE part of our everyday life. We walk everywhere, whether it’s around the store or in our houses. All you’re doing here is slightly extending the distance you're going! It’s a great way to get familiar with where you live or to explore a local park. Take it at a leisurely stroll and enjoy your relaxation or bump up the pace for one of the best ways to burn some of that extra weight you’re carrying around!
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Dancing is one of the oldest human traditions, and because of that, there are endless variations of what you can do. If you’ve never been an avid dancer, sign up for nearby lessons and learn to cut back and go with the music!
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Has your home been needing some new storage options? Why not try your hand at building some yourself? The internet is full of a ton of DIY projects, and they’re great ways to get off the couch and do something. Plus, this way you’ll have a tangible product to show for your time!
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Need some batteries? Ride your bike to the store! Going to work? Ride it there too! Having a night in with the family? Dust off your bikes and take the whole gang on a spin around town! See how many ways you can incorporate biking into your daily routine. Extra points if you can make a habit out of it.
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High school sports were the best, right? Well they don’t have to stay stuck in the past. Find a nearby rec league, lace up those cleats, and go break in your old glove. You’ll have a blast and make some new friends along the way!
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If you can find your kids jump-rope, snag it and see how long you can go. Not only will this boost your hand-eye coordination, but it’ll also get you in shape insanely quickly! There’s a reason you see pro athletes using these things. It’s fun, burns calories, and it gets your heart in shape without the same impact that running has on your joints.
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Hiking is a great way to get out and about. It’s a peaceful way to get away from the chaos of life and enjoy nature. Look for trails near you, and then go wear them in a bit. Pack a lunch and make a picnic out of it; you won’t regret it.
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Gardening is a great way to be active. It’ll get you moving around, using muscles you wouldn’t normally use. Plus, there’s the added benefit of getting to eat the fruit of your labors. Literally.
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Swimming is a great way to get in extremely good shape. It’s an aerobic workout that’ll also build muscle and burn calories. There’s none of the impact on your knees that come with running, and you get to goof off in a pool. What could be better?
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Yoga has really taken off lately, and it’s super easy to see why! It increases your flexibility, builds strength, encourages weight loss, and functions as a preventative for injuries. And those are just the physical benefits. Yoga is also a fantastic way to relieve stress and encourage a peaceful lifestyle.
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Martial arts are great. Sure, you get to learn self-defense. Sure, you get to feel like the star of an action movie. Sure, you get to lose some serious mid-section weight. But martial arts are great because of their other benefits. They encourage a lifestyle that keeps you healthy. They boost your confidence. They teach you to be still, focus on morals, and let you engage with a centuries-old art form. Where are the downsides again?
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Let’s be real: you probably don’t stretch enough. You probably sit in your car for your commute to work, where you sit at your desk for eight hours before going home to sit on your couch after your exhausting day. That’s a lot of sitting for a body that wasn’t made for sitting. Maybe you don’t have time to work out every day. That’s okay. Try incorporating a few simple stretches into your daily life. Next time you go to put on your shoes, stretch those hips and hamstrings. It’s crazy how much better you’ll feel!
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Don’t have a dog? Get a dog. Then, walk it. You may not walk yourself, but Spot sure needs to be walked. She’ll let you know it too. She’ll want to go to the park. She’ll want to throw the ball. She’ll want to wrestle. Get a dog and she’ll force you to be active.
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Golf is the new American pastime. It’s a great way to get out and enjoy the quiet with some friends. You’ll walk a bit, work on your hand-eye coordination, drive a golf cart, and get those competitive fires burning. There’s not much reason to not to visit the golf course.
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You probably have a bowling alley nearby. If you were to go into said bowling alley, you’d probably rent some shoes. While you’re waiting on the apathetic teenager to bring you your shoes, you’ll probably be bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of posters advertising bowling league sign-ups. When that apathetic teenager finally gets back to the counter, you should sign up for one of those bowling leagues.
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Larping. It’s a word that sounds like somebody had something stuck in their throat. In reality, it’s much more exciting! It stands for Live Action Role Playing. There’s a number of different ways to play, but essentially you run around fighting people with foam swords. It’s pretty great.
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If you find yourself sitting all day, try replacing your chair with an exercise ball. This might look a little odd, but it actually has a lot of benefits. It’ll engage your core, improve your balance, and fix your posture. That’s pretty good, right? Plus, you’re sitting on a ball. It’s a great way to make yourself feel young again.
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If you find yourself lounging around the house for stretches of time longer than you’d care to admit, you might need a little extra incentive to get up. How about rearranging your furniture? Position stuff so that you have to walk across the room to change the channel or take another sip of your coffee. Force yourself to get up.
Need a great excuse to go spend money you really shouldn't? We’ve got you covered. Get out and go shopping, but try to power walk. Keep moving, walking quicker than you normally would. It’ll be a fun way to get out and about.
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Rock climbing is super fun, mental challenging, and endurance building way to get active. Plus, it’s just plain fun. You can do it in the gym, in a pool (if a local pool has a climbing wall), or out in the wild. Regardless, play it safe and have a great time.
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Kayaking is a great way to get out, explore, and enjoy serene settings. And it helps that it’s so beautiful because it will be quite the workout. It obviously helps your arms, but also your legs, back, and chest. Plus, it’s a good way to get some cardio in! It’s a win-win!
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Sitting all day is bad for your health. It’s not even debated. The problem? We work jobs that require us to sit. So, unless we quit our jobs and all go become park rangers, that’s not going to go away, right? Wrong. You can super easily upgrade our desk to a standing desk. That way, you can keep your job and stay healthy. Not a bad compromise, right?
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Wait... what? If you have a Wii or another movement-based video game console, playing games can be good. They’ll force you to get up, move around, and stay inside. What could go wrong?
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When you go to the store or work, park real far out. As far as you can. Make yourself walk just a touch further. It might be just another minute or two of walking, but it adds up, especially if you don’t walk much every day.
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You know all those bar games? Pool, ping pong, darts, foosball, and air hockey? They’re fun, and while they might not be a workout, they’re far more active than watching another episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
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Sitting causes a lot of problems. The solution? Take away whatever you’re sitting on. Place your back against a wall and sit like you’re on an invisible chair. It’ll build strength and endurance in some muscles that aren’t getting used when you use a normal chair.
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Calves not feeling quite as nice as they once were? That’s an easy fix! If you’re standing still for a while (say, brushing your teeth), do some calf raises! Or, as your cooking dinner, only walk around on the ball of your feet. It’ll get your legs using muscles they don’t normally use.
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Do you really need to be convinced for this one? Pick up a bright yellow, foam-dart gun and chase a loved one around. You’ll have a blast and get moving at the same time!
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So technically this is a race, but it’s so much more! There’s obstacles, mud, and team-work! Yeah, you might run a little stretch, but it’ll feel more like field day than anything else!
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So hammocking may not be the most athletic thing, but you’ve got to hike out to someplace quiet to hammock though! Plus, you’ll be outside enjoying the fresh air. It just encourages getting out and doing something. It’s a great, stress-free alternative to Netflix that you just shouldn’t live without!
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