If you exercise your brain a lot, you also need to exercise your body, or your brain will end up in trouble.

I once had a gym card for a whole year. Never stepped into the gym even once after buying the card. Planning your training, travel to the gym, get changed, do the exercises, shower and change clothes, going back home again. I concluded that it isn’t my thing. Instead, I try to get the exercise I need during the course of a normal day. Below are everyday things you can do to get your exercise without losing time or having to change clothes.

1. Walk or ride a bike instead of taking the car or commute whenever you can.

2. Get off the bus or train a stop early, or walk the first stop.

3. Take the stairs instead of elevator or escalator. You don’t have to walk fast, take your time.

4. Carry your groceries to the car instead of pulling them in a shopping cart.

5. Carry your kids instead of letting them sit in a stroller all the time.

6. Saw or split firewood instead of buying readymade.

7. Play with your kids. Wrestling on the floor takes more energy than you might think.

8. Work at a standing desk instead of sitting down.

9. Walk your dog an extra time every day.

10. Walk to your kid's daycare instead of taking the car. It gets your children into the walking habit too.

11. Mow the lawn. It gives you many walking steps as well as exercises your upper body.

12. Shovel snow.

13. Vacuum or mop your house.

14. Weed your garden.

15. Hunt for Pokémon. Bring the kids if you need an excuse.

16. Print your office papers on a distant printer so you have to get up and walk to get it.

17. Take a walk after lunch.

18. Arrange walking meetings outside.

19. Hang wet laundry.

20. Empty the dishwasher.

21. Swing.

22. Rake leaves.

23. Clean the gutters.

24. Redecorate your home.

25. Paint a room or ceiling yourself instead of outsourcing it.

26. Park on the most distant parking space when you grocery shop.

27. Wash your windows.

28. See your friends on a walk instead of in a café.

29. Dance.

30. Get rid of the TV remote control or park it on the TV.

31. Walk and talk to your office colleagues instead of texting, calling, mailing.

32. Clean the dishes by hand.

33. Set a clock and walk around the house or office every 40 minutes.

34. Walk to a lunch restaurant a longer distance from the office.

35. Stand on the subway. It improves your balance and leaves a seat for those more needing it.

36. Don’t be stupid. You shouldn’t overdo it. Don’t carry too heavy loads or obsess over everyday training.

You will notice that a side effect of everyday-training is that a surprising amount of boring house chores gets done in the process. 🙂

”One hour of daily physical exercise cannot compensate the negative effects of inactivity on insulin level and plasma lipids if the rest of the day is spent sitting. Reducing inactivity by increasing the time spent walking/standing is more effective than one hour of physical exercise, when energy expenditure is kept constant.”

» Minimal Intensity Physical Activity (Standing and Walking) of Longer Duration Improves Insulin Action and Plasma Lipids More than Shorter Periods of Moderate to Vigorous Exercise (Cycling) in Sedentary Subjects When Energy Expenditure Is Comparable

(Photo by Val vesa at Unsplash)