Easy, budget-friendly ways to exercise
I used to wear my pedometer on a daily basis. I loved it. We had such memorable times together.
Then we decided to take a break. It’s not you, it’s me! I felt it was necessary to explore other avenues of exercise besides walking.
After enough time had passed, I was ready to get back together with my pedometer. Sadly, about a month ago, we parted ways when I accidentally dropped it and it crashed to the floor. Broken. *Tear*.
Throughout my time with my dear pedometer, the mother dear decided to get one as well so that she could track her steps. Shortly thereafter, co-worker A also started wearing a pedometer daily. They both talk on a semi-regular basis about trying to get more steps in the day, so this blog post is for them!
These are some of my favourite, easy, budget-friendly way to get more steps into your day:
1) Get off the bus a stop or two early/late. This tactic is best saved for fair-weather days.
2) Pace around your house for 10-minute increments. I like to do this while reading a book. Multi-tasking! The time goes by surprisingly quickly, especially if you’re (figuratively) tackling Kenneth Burke.
3) Do intervals of 25 – 100 jumping jacks. One jumping jack “counts” as about three steps on the pedometer, so that’s a nice bonus. The explosive movement gets your heart rate up and the steps add up real quick.
4) March in place when you’re at the computer. Side-stepping also works. But when you have to actually type on the computer, you might want to do the marching technique… it can be tricky to side-step and type at the same time.
5) Get a couple walking DVD’s for at home. I adore Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds DVD’s. These are really great when you want to get in a walk but the weather isn’t good, or if you feel like just hanging around at home in your pyjamas, etc.
6) Buy yourself a treadmill off of Kijiji. Treadmills can be upwards of $2,000. Way more money than I’m willing to spend! So I searched on Kijiji and I’ve arranged to buy myself a treadmill for $300 from a woman who no longer has any use for it. If all goes well when I pick it up tomorrow, I’ll cancel my gym membership since I’ll have a treadmill in my home – it costs the equivalent of about six months worth of gym membership, so it will be a great investment for my lifestyle. (I used to love working out at the gym, but these days I’m more interested in doing my own thing).
7) Take a walk around the block at lunch. I really love this one as a way to stay fit in the summer, because it gives you a little break from working and it’s really nice to be able to get some fresh air.
8 ) Take the dog for a walk in the morning. A classic!
9) Go out for a pre- or post-dinner walk in the evening with your family. Walking with others can be one of the best ways to socialize and to learn to love walking. Plus it’s good for digestion!
10) Don’t accept the car or the bus as an option. Unless, of course, the weather is horrible, you’re incredibly late, etc. Don’t even let yourself think about it and you won’t be tempted!
What are your tips for easy, budget-friendly ways to get more steps into your day?
I like to park at the back of the parking lot if I am out and it is safe & that gets more steps. I make reasons to go up & down the stairs.. I stand rather than sit sometimes at home.. just a few! 😉
Those are great ones!
Thanks – those are some good ideas. Like, Jody, I park far away when shopping.
I walk on my lunch, try to walk in evenings with my family. Now that weather is nicer, my daughter and I will walk/bike to her Girl Scout meetings.
I do have some resistance bands I’d like to use while watching TV, but I haven’t figured them out, yet. Lol.
Resistance bands can be great, once you get the hang of them 🙂
I like #2, because currently my multi-tasking activity coupled with reading is eating. Not good.
ME TOO. Ummmm that so needs to change. *pokes own Pillsbury Dough Boy stomach*
I truly believe a Pedometer can be are really useful tool for me. I even have a brand new one in the box. I’ll crack it open after work! And I’m sure I can get in extra steps if I run away from my kids (I really wanted to do that last night. Pure torture is what they did to me).
Yay for pedometers!
Running away from kids is an excellent form of exercise. I approve 😀
Great ideas! When I was working for a newspaper, I’d always sneak off to do mobility exercises. Kept me from getting stiff. And since I hydrate, I’m always scurrying off to the loo.
Ahaha, yes, I definitely get in a lot of steps just from going back and forth to the bathroom… that’s the problem with staying hydrated!
I recently road tested the GeoPalz pedometer and will have the column up by the end of the week. It works great.
Nice! I look forward to reading about it.
I used to clock up 10,000 steps with no problem at all when I caught the train to work, but now I drive, it’s much harder. It’s 10 miles and the train would take 2 hours, so it has to be the car. Most lunchtimes I go for a walk but when I get home I let the chickens out the run – they have to stay in it when we’re at work because of foxes. Next week it’s daylight saving so I can give both them and me time. But in winter months it’s not so easy! I’ll try the walking at the computer point, I spend so long in front of my computer it could be a real boost if it worked! And I agree with Westwood’s comment above, that is also a multi-tasking strength of mine!
Can’t wait til winter is over… I’m so done with it!
Walking and standing at the computer are probably my favourite tricks… it’s nice what it does for the posture, too.
What a great post Sagan, this is so creative, sustainable and available to anyone… no excuses! This type of creativity is what it takes to have a great healthy lifestyle forever 🙂
I love those tips concerning multi tasking. I spend so much time sitting in front of the PC, and reading at nights that I really need to get mobile, or I will be eaten by my sloth behavior and it might be the undoing of my health.