We’re three weeks into 2013. How are you doing with any resolutions or goals you’ve set? Earlier this month, we looked at 13 ways to be healthier in 2013, and then we began a new series, Healthy Habit, to help you ease into a healthier lifestyle. It’s hard to make big changes all at once. So we first looked at creating the healthy habit of sleep. Hopefully you’ve made that a priority and are getting better sleep, or are at least working on that. Today we’ll look at the second Healthy Habit on our list of 13, taking the stairs.
Of course, “taking the stairs” is just a suggestion. What it really means is finding ways to work a little more exercise into each day. Not everyone has stairs in their home or workplace. You don’t have to climb stairs if they’re not available. All you have to do is vow to move more than you did yesterday.
You can do that by parking a little farther away from your usual space at the grocery store. Or you can walk to the post office instead of driving. Instead of asking your kids to bring you something you need, or go out and get the mail, get up and get it yourself.
Technology makes it possible to get things done easier and faster than ever before. However, our constant/chronic reliance on that technology doesn’t always translate to what’s best for our health. If you need to consult a coworker, walk over to his or her desk instead of sending an email. Ride your bike to a friend’s house instead of sending her a text. If you must call someone on the phone, try to walk around during your conversation, instead of sitting still.
The challenge is to avoid looking at these acts as formal exercise. It wasn’t so long ago that we might have considered them par for the course. But as our technology-dependent lives have evolved, we find ourselves sitting more and more, and as a result, our collective health has suffered. Fortunately, making small but effective changes gets easier when we choose to include them in our daily lives.
Changing your mindset to include more movement in your day—whether you take the stairs, walk to the store, or just go out and play with your kids—is the key to success. Make a conscious effort to get up and move a little more each and every day, and you’ll enjoy better health in 2013.
Talk it up:
Do you routinely take the stairs?
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