Workout Wednesday- Keepin’ It Simple

For this Workout Wednesday, I want to focus on keeping boosting your level of physical activity as simply as possible (plus my camera is being weird so I haven’t been able to upload new exercise videos this week). As a busy mom, or dad, it can be hard to find the time to fit in exercise. But, before you get too wrapped up in devoting a full hour at the gym, think about it this way: if you increase your overall level of movement during the day, you will boost the amount of calories you burn. This increased movement, however you fit in in, can help you to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

So how can you know if you are more physically active today than yesterday? It’s simple! Just invest in a basic pedometer (about $10-$15 dollars at most sporting good stores), strap it on your waistband as soon as you get up in the morning, and take it off before bed. The goal is to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps each and every day. But don’t worry if you aren’t there yet. Every 2000 extra steps you take is equal to another mile of walking (or about another 100 calories that you burn).

To rack up more steps during the day, think about easy ways you can squeeze in more movement:

• When talking on the phone pace around the house instead of sitting
• When doing chores, make two trips instead of one
• Park farther away when going to the store or going to work
• Play active games with your children such as tag or hide and go seek
• Make family time active time instead of couch time

Although this sounds so simple, it really works. In fact, research has even shown that when individuals start working out at the gym, they often decrease there overall daily physical activity (take less steps when they aren’t at the gym), resulting in less fitness and weight loss results. So instead of driving yourself crazy trying to find time for a long workout, start off with this simple approach first. Aim for 10,000 steps every day and then from there, add on your workout while keeping your step count up. This approach will give you the fastest weight loss and health results!