EASY WAYS TO BOOST YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL...

An active lifestyle is more than simply visiting the gym for an hour or jumping around in the living room to an exercise tape. Be creative and find ways to incorporate movement into almost everything you do.

Here’s some suggestions to get you started and help boost your activity level. If you make a conscious effort to combine extra movement with your daily life, it will eventually become second nature. Give some of these suggestions a try.

Þ Walk as much as possible by parking the car a bit further away, or walk to an appointment from your office instead of driving. Whenever you’re walking, try to focus on a quicker than normal pace, and shorter strides.

This gets the heart rate going a bit faster than just strolling along.

Þ Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Þ During breaks at work, walk the stairs, walk around the building or walk down the halls. Find any type of activity that keeps you moving during your break.

Þ Whenever you’re walking somewhere, take the long way around. Use this to get anywhere you’re going...from shopping at the mall to getting a drink at the water cooler.

Þ Don’t use drive through windows. Park and get out of your car to do banking, grab a bite to eat or pick up the dry cleaning.

(If you’re at a drive thru grabbing something to eat, is this really

a place you should be eating at?)

Þ Lose the remote control. When was the last time you got up to change the channel?

Þ When cleaning house, exagerate your movements and make them big. Wash windows with a rag and make big arm circles and up and down movements. When vacuuming switch hands every so often to give equal time on both sides. Make long, rhythmic motions with the vacuum to help get the heart rate up and deep clean the carpet at the same time.

Þ If you have grandchildren, spend some quality time playing with them Play catch, jump rope, play on the monkey bars, push them on the swing or have a running race.

Þ Take lessons to learn how to play tennis, golf, racquetball, in-line skating or any other activity you might enjoy.

Þ Join the local walking or hiking club.

Þ Make a date with your partner to go out dancing once or twice a month. Don’t be afraid to cut loose and have some fun!!

Add any of your own ideas, as this is only a few ideas to get you going.