Healthy Habits: Move More

 I recently came to the realization that I don’t move much. I’m not talking about physically moving houses (already did that this year!), but when it comes to moving vs sitting, sitting definitely wins.

I was an active kid, teenager, and college student (playing tennis almost every day, being in show choir, walking around campus, etc) and sometimes I think that because I used to be active, I’m still considered “active.” That’s not the way it works.There’s not even a set of stairs in my life anymore.

My movement level has gone down to almost nothing over the past few years. The job I had right out of college there was a long walk uphill from the parking lot to the office, then my office was a 4 floor walk up. My second job had a decent parking lot to office distance. My current place of work had a couple of sets of stairs, then I moved offices. The apartment we lived in for a year and a half was a 2 story, our home is a one story.

I take full responsibility for my lack of movement. It’s not my workplace’s fault that there’s a short distance from the parking lot to my desk. It’s my fault for sitting for long periods of time without getting out of my chair.

2016 for me is all about getting healthy habits into my daily routine. Now that I’ve recognized my lack of movement, moving is front row center in my mind.

Here are some ideas of how I’m going to be incorporating regular movement into my every day routine:

• Walking Buddy. Having an inside dog really does increase movement. We take him out for short walks multiple times a day and one long walk every afternoon. We also stand up and play with him, get on the floor and play with him, and run around the house while he chases us!
• Getting out of my chair every hour. When I get in the work zone, I lose track of time and get lost in my project, like a lot of people! I can stand up and take a lap around the office (avoiding the snack baskets of course) every hour.
• Actually using my Fitbit. I got a fitbit for Christmas! I was getting used to having it on, then I needed to charge it and I’ve forgotten to put it back on. I fully plan on having it on by the time this post is published.

I think just being mindful of the issue is a big deal. Now we have to do something about it! I’ll keep you updated on my movement progress.