When most of us think of getting fit we think of grueling workouts, strict diet plans and lots of cardio. I am here to tell you that there is a much easier way, although it does still involve you getting off the couch. Doing some sort of class or training program on your own 3-5 days a week is great. That being said, we actually burn the most of our calories during non-exercise related activities. You can only increase the intensity and amount of time spent in the gym before it is too much and you start to develop injuries. That is why increasing non-exercise activity levels is key, and if you do train hard it can be great for recovery as well.

Non-exercise activity is basically anything you do outside of the gym or anything outside of a strict workout. That includes walking your dog, playing sports, dancing and more. If you increase your non-exercise activity, then you will increase your calories burned per day and get great blood flow to your muscles (which is great for recovery). I believe daily movement is key to stress reduction and management. So, whether you are trying to drop some pounds, increase recovery in between bouts of hard training or just trying to become more active and healthy, then these nine tips are for you.

1. Walk more.

The first obvious way to increase daily activity is to simply walk more. Walking is a low-impact form of movement that I am very fond of, and I believe is massively underrated. Going for a long walk, or walking more throughout the day is an easy way to increase your daily caloric burn without taxing the muscles or nervous system. I also find that it is very therapeutic, and it has been great for my productivity and creativity. It is actually scientifically proven that walking in new areas increases creativity and makes you more present. As a content creator, long walks have been so helpful for me to find inspiration or think about tough challenges.
Besides all the mental benefits, walking is an easy way to increase activity without even realizing it. You can just go for a long walk by yourself or with friends, which is something I try to do often. Some good ideas are walking in Audubon park and taking pictures, walking through the French Quarter and playing tourist, or walking to The Fly with some friends. If you have the option always take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Also, try to turn certain activities into a reason to walk. I like to listen to podcasts and so while I do that I am walking. I also like to walk while I am talking on the phone for work or with friends. If you like to go shopping then that is another great way to get in some more walking. Any excuse you can find to walk is great and I would highly suggest it.

2. Bike more (or if something is too far, then bike there).

Now this tip is really just an extension of the first one. If something is too far to walk to the bike to it! If you have a bike with a basket then take it to the grocery or farmer’s market. Another good option is to find a new restaurant and bike to it with some friends from campus. There is also the levee, which has a bike path that you can use and you can also get some great pictures of the sunset from there. I really like to take my bike and just randomly explore and I almost always find something new and cool. Also, if you have a lot of studying to do you can read while you are on a stationary bike. You can even watch your favorite shows while on a stationary bike too. You could easily bike for an hour or two without even realizing it while you are doing something else. If you have the ability then taking a road trip and finding some fun bike trails is awesome too. I usually make a day of it when we go biking or hiking on trails and afterwards we always get pizza and beer.

3. Find a new hobby or activity that gets you moving (such as intramural and club sports, socializing, pick up games and more).

This is a tip that I always advise people to do because you don’t have to think about it as much, and instead of thinking of working out you are thinking of spending time with friends. Recently, I joined my friend to go check out Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I had a blast, and I was able to meet some cool new people. Whatever sport or activity you are into I can almost guarantee that there are other people on campus that are into the same thing. Even if it is Pokémon Go that is still a great way to increase activity levels and socialize with other people. Although, I am kind of old school and I suggest finding an activity that doesn’t involve phones. On campus there are intramural sports, club sports, and you can always go start your own pick up game of basketball, ultimate Frisbee, or whatever. Off campus you can go to The Fly or Audubon Park and play some sort of game, there are things like indoor rock climbing and Sector 6.

4. Sit less.

Unfortunately, most of us are in seated positions for large portions of the day. Whether that is in class, at the library, sitting at dinner, or lounging around. Technology has made everyone, not just students, less active. Very few people have jobs that keep them on their feet for a large portion of the day. All that being said, there is a solution and it is actually very simple. For every hour that you sit make sure you get up and walk around for 15-20 minutes, or do some mobility for the same amount of time. Mobility is different than just your typical static stretching. It is getting yourself ready to be able to move well in certain positions. Mobility WOD is free on YouTube and they have some great quick ideas for mobility. When you go to sit back down make sure you are sitting properly with good posture and feet firmly planted on the ground. A good trick I use is to sit on the edge of the chair if possible. Sitting like this forces me to have better posture and stabilize with my feet and legs. If I am studying at home, or sometimes even the library I will do some push-ups, pull-ups, or crunches in between bouts of sitting as well as some mobility. Sitting for long periods of time is terrible for our posture, proper breathing, low back, and hips. Also, I have found that moving every hour or so actually helps improve my energy and focus when I am studying, writing, or doing anything that requires me to sit. Lastly, if you want you can try and make a standing desk by stacking boxes or something similar. When you are in class it may be hard to get up during class and stretch or move. So when you are done with class try to do some mobility and walking around before your next class and don’t sit until class is about to start.

5. Get outside more.

This tips may seem too obvious but even someone like me who is active can neglect this. When you are outside your chances of movement are exponentially higher than if you’re inside. Plus, if the weather is nice and the sun is out you get the added benefit of a tan and Vitamin-D. I know it is hot in Louisiana, but getting outside can be a great break from all the time in class and the library. Again, this is another one that can promote creativity and stress relief. More often than not I come up with solutions or new ideas when I am outside moving around versus staring straight at the issue in the library or my laptop. If you have a study group see if everyone would want to study outside somewhere on campus. I actually like to go to Audubon Park and set up my hammock and read. The more time you spend outside the better. In my opinion nobody is spending nearly enough time outdoors, myself included.

6. Make it a goal to move for at least one hour per day.

Our daily habits are what truly define us. When I am consulting with someone as a trainer I always try to figure out what his or her daily habits are. If you make it a habit to move at least one hour per day I guarantee you will see some great benefits physically, emotionally, mentally, and maybe even spiritually. If it is a workout day then that is great and you can easily hit your one hour of movement. If it isn’t a workout day then you can use some of the many tips I have mentioned throughout this article. If you are struggling to make daily movement a habit then my best piece of advice is to start early. I don’t wake up at 4:30am because it sounds cool or because I want to. I do it because that is the only time of the day for me that no one is calling, texting, or e-mailing me. I am able to focus on developing myself in the mornings with my morning routine and workouts without any interruption. Now, you don’t have to wake up that early, but I suggest picking a specific time of day that works for you and making it non-negotiable. Put it into your planner just like you would for a meeting, class, or work. You can also set a timer or reminder on your phone for whatever time you pick to move. If you, for whatever reason, are struggling to move for one solid hour then start by breaking it up throughout the day. It doesn’t always have to be something intense, and it shouldn’t be. Some days I go hard in the gym lifting weights, while other days I am going for a long walk, doing yoga, or long boarding. The most important thing is to find a thing and a time you can stick to consistently. Walking an hour everyday consistently is much better than going hard one day a week.

7. Netflix and stretch.

I called this tip Netflix and stretch, but it can be any form of movement you want to do. I don’t really watch TV, but if I do then I will do push-ups, pull-ups, mobility, core work, or something else during commercials or breaks. Since Netflix doesn’t have commercials you can either move between episodes during your Netflix binge watching, or you can do yoga or mobility while watching.

8. Dance like a crazy person at the bar.

Some fitness professionals will tell you that if you want to be fit then you need to avoid going out to bars at all costs. Now, while going out every night of the week, eating bad, and waking up with hangovers isn’t the fastest way to being fit there is a middle ground. Life was meant to be enjoyed and life's also too short to be that person who is always so serious about everything. If you aren’t an athlete, cover model, or prepping for a competition then you can absolutely go out a few nights a week and still stay fit. Honestly, my legs are never sorer than a night after dancing like a fool at the bar. I am a terrible dancer, but it is nice to let loose and pretend that I have rhythm sometimes. So, when you do go out dance like no one is watching because they really aren’t. Trust me, no one at The Boot is going to care or remember how you were dancing so let loose and dance and sing like we all know you do in the shower.

9. Monitor daily activity levels (tracker, notes, timer etc.).

This last one is actually super helpful. I find that when I track personally, or when I have clients track food, activity, workouts, etc. their results get better. The reason is that they have something measurable to look at and improve upon. If you wear a device that tracks how many steps you take a day then you can easily look at that and see if you should be walking more. You don’t need a device to track activity levels though. You can use the clock app on your phone, write workouts and daily activity in a notebook, or use some other type of fitness app. Even though a lot of the trackers out there aren’t super accurate I actually really like them. It may not be exact, but if you go from walking 5,000 steps a day to 10,000 then you will definitely notice a difference. Other things you can track are food with either the MyFitnessPal app, taking pictures of your meals, or writing down your daily meals. I also like to write my workouts to see how I have improved over time. I always have a goal with each workout to lift more weight, do more reps, jump a bit higher, run a bit faster, or something else that is measurable.

Thank you for reading and I hope that you can apply some of these tips to your daily life. If you do use some of the tips I talked about comment and let me know, or share with other friends! Also, I am now able to make videos on this platform. That being said, I already have some ideas of things I want to show you guys with video, but if you have anything specific you want to see let me know! Last thing, if there were anything in this article you would like me to go more in depth on comment and let me know or ask questions in the comments section. The more you guys let me know what you want, the better content I can create!

Stay Fit,
Sam