11 Clever Ways to Fit Fitness into Your Day

[mtlebay]

1. Take at least two flights a day.
Research shows that taking just two flights of stairs a day can add up to a 6-pound weight loss over a year. Regular stair stepping also improves bone density, aerobic fitness, and levels of good cholesterol. Always take the stairs at work and while shopping. If you have stairs at home, make one trip up and down before and after work to be sure you get in at least two flights a day.

2. Make the pizza.
Cooking dinner burns more than twice as many calories as dialing the phone and flipping through a magazine for 20 or 30 minutes as you wait for the chow mein to come. And the food's often better, too. Prep and cook dinner at least one night a week, and preferably five or six nights!

3. Plan walk 'n' talks.
Instead of sitting in a stuffy conference room gnawing stale doughnuts, lead your coworkers outside for roving meetings. Take a small pad and pen to keep notes. Everyone's brain will work better in the fresh air, and you'll have more energy when you return to your office.

4. Be an active spectator.
Your kids' (or grandkids') sports practices and games are terrific opportunities for movement. Pace the sidelines. Walk around the field. Step up and down off the bleachers. The added activity will really give you something to cheer about.

5. Take the late spots.
Five days a week, park in the first spot you see in the lot (usually "reserved" for latecomers). Where it's safe, do the same at malls, restaurants, and other destinations.

6. Do computer calisthenics.
At the top of every hour, straighten and bend each leg 10 times, stand up and rise up and down on your toes 10 times, and stretch your arms to the ceiling before sitting down and resuming work.

7. Start a walking bus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 13 percent of kids walk to school -- a 66 percent drop from 30 years ago. Start your day off right and help your kids, grandkids, or neighbors' kids fend off future heart disease by starting a "walking school bus": Pick up the children at their homes in the morning and walk with them to school, following a set route. Then do the same in reverse in the afternoon. If the school is too far away, pick a central location, such as a park, where parents can take their kids, and use that as the pickup and drop-off point for your trips. Or caravan by foot to and from a central bus stop.

8. Pack a ready-to-go bag.
Active moments can appear at a moment's notice. Meetings get canceled. Kids run late. Clients are stuck in traffic. Instead of sitting and stewing, strap on your sneaks and take a stroll. Keep a bag packed with sneakers, socks, baby wipes, and a small towel stashed in your car.

9. Think on your feet.
Stand up whenever you need to write a list or jot down notes. It guarantees that you'll get off your seat and stretch your legs a few times a day.

10. Dial M for "move it."
When the phone rings, stand up, and don't sit down until you're done with the conversation. Walk around the house -- or even the yard -- to squeeze in extra steps.

11. Turn ad time into active time.
Do chores during the commercial breaks in your favorite TV show or shows. Popping up to do laundry, empty wastebaskets, gather dirty dishes, or wipe countertops can add up to 14 to 24 minutes of activity during an hour-long show, and you'll save hundreds of calories by not snacking instead.

[misskris]

haha according to this i'm healthier than i thought. i live on the 8th floor and i always take the stairs bc the elevator is claustrophobically small. 98 percent of the time i make my own pizza/meals (pizza salad = yummo). i always take the far spots because i don't want anyone to ding my car doors. i walk almost everywhere because i live in a small city and i can do so. haha this is great! i feel good about myself after reading this.