8 Ways to Add Exercise to Your Day

Are you struggling to stay active? Are you having a hard time getting your steps in for the day? Are you strapped to a desk? A lot of us are.

Hi, it's Teri again! I am here to give you valuable info on simple ways to add activity to your day that won't cost you a gym membership.

8 Easy Ways to Add Activity to Your Day

1. Join a 10K step challenge. You don't really need a Fitbit. You can get a step counter online for as cheap as $9. I would personally recommend one in the $15 to $20 range that has a memory bank to help with tracking. Here’s one I can get behind.

No step challenge to join? Start your own with friends, co-workers, and family. 10K steps is a great way to get in your daily recommended activity just to maintain cardiovascular health.

2. Bodyweight workouts. These are legit. I cannot tell you how many times I have kicked my own but using bodyweight. Again, these can be done anywhere.

Check out these links for inspiration. Some of these are interval-based where there is a short burst of activity followed by a short rest period that’s just enough to reduce your heart rate. Some call this HIIT, which stands for High Intensity Interval Training. I like intervals such as 60 seconds on followed by 60 seconds off. There are tons of different timer apps for this. I did my own version of a bodyweight HIIT workout in an airport once while waiting to board. I even got a thumbs-up and some applause!

3. Resistance bands. These are fabulous and affordable. They come in handy kits, and you can take them anywhere and get a workout in at your desk, in your house, on the road - anywhere. Here are some great ideas for resistance band workouts, and a suggestion on a set that has lasted me a long time. Want the ones with the handles? Try these.

I love loop bands as well! They work great for assisted pull-ups, active stretching, and more!

4. Take the long route. Running errands? Park your car the furthest away from the entrance to get in extra steps. Need to use the restroom? Use the one furthest from you at work, home, anywhere, as long as it's not a bathroom emergency.

5. Get up and move every hour. Yup, get up from where you are sitting, or pull off the road when driving and get some jumping jacks in, practice a wall sit, get in some pushups, jump squats, or put on some tunes and dance. You can set a timer on your phone to remind you.

6. Make a game of it. Try BattleMoor! Haven't heard of it? Neither did I, but my husband who is an old-school tabletop gamer did. It's a game that brings fitness to you in a deck of cards. The official description:

*A personal training program that uses collectible card game strategies and lore to guide your fitness journey.

*Challenge your physical fitness goals within the familiar universe and mechanics of fantasy trading card games.

*Can be played alone, or exercise competitively with a friend where you alter and challenge your opponent's workout.

*Includes rules and one 50 card starter deck for enough combinations to do a unique work out every day for over a year.

BattleMat was independently developed by two physical fitness experts and CCG nerds, and is made in America.

Seriously, it's really cool. You can get it here.

7. Walk for 10 minutes after each meal. It helps get the digestive system in gear and will help you avoid the slump after eating.

8. Find something you love to do that is physically challenging. If you love it, it will be effortless to fit it into your day. That's the way I feel about weightlifting. Find what works for you! Remember to stretch afterwards.

Teri Tenseth Market is a Personal Trainer and holds a diploma in nutrition. She is also a competitive natural bodybuilder with the NANBF and competitive power lifter with the USAPL. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @fcpchick.