Whether you are stuck at home or in an office, it’s too easy to let the day fly by without getting up from your desk. Use the 11 tips to move more through out the day and sneak exercise into your daily routine.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week and 2 days of strength training a week to maintain good health. That’s not to lose weight, get stronger or build muscle. That’s to maintain. Sadly, only 20% of adults get even that much.

Whether you are stuck inside right now or your regular office job has you moving less than you’d like to, there are plenty of ways that you can sneak exercise into your daily routine without having to give it much thought, or time.

Every little bit of movement counts. In fact, filling your day with simple tasks, or switching to a standing desk can significantly increase NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis. NEAT is how much energy (read: how many calories) your body burns to do daily activities. Anything from washing the dishes to walking the dog to fidgeting counts as NEAT. And NEAT makes up 10-20% of your daily metabolic burn!

Studies show that up to 800 calories are burned per day IF you move more.

Ready NOW?

11 WAYS TO SNEAK EXERCISE INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

#1: Do a 15 minute clean up.

Spend 15 minutes cruising through your house or office, picking up stacks of paper, dusting and wiping down. In a quarter of an hour you can burn 40 calories and produce a tidier, more pleasant office.

#2: Do 10 push ups before you take a shower.

Connecting exercise to a habit that you already have, or an action that you take daily, is a great way to seamlessly adopt more movement in your life.

#3: Take a 5-minute walk every 1-2 hours.

Do you ever look up from your work space and realize 5 hours have gone by, you missed lunch and you haven’t talked to a single human since breakfast? Not good for your butt smushed into a roller chair and not good for your will power, which can easily get sucked in to the nearest vending machine at this point.

Set a timer to go off every 1-2 hours to remind yourself to get up. Get some water, go for a walk, throw in a load of laundry. Increase NEAT!

#4: Commit to X number of reps per day.

Strength training is the best way to build muscle, and you know what burns plenty of energy by simply existing? Muscle.

Pick 3-4 exercise, such as a squat, push up, lunge and crunch, and decide on a specific number of reps you have to complete before going to bed each day. Start small, say 10-15 of each, and work your way up as it gets easier to complete your reps.

#5: Have a “dance party”.

Dancing is a whole body workout (hence the dance-themed workouts that are popular at gyms). It’s good for balance and coordination, it’s cardio, it can make you stronger and it’s a 100% boost for your mental health. Take dance party moments when you can. Beyonce radio on Spotify is a fantastic invention.

#6: Take the stairs two at a time.

Or at all. Cut the elevator out of your life. If you don’t live in a home with an elevator (kidddddding, who doesn’t live in a home with an elevator), and take the stairs regularly, take them two at a time. Think of the laundry-and-random-stuff-collectors as an excuse to fit Step Ups into your day.

#7: Start each day with 5 minutes of yoga.

Practicing just 5 minutes of yoga in the morning limbers up muscles that have been at rest for 8 hours. It gets your blood flowing and gives you a chance to slowly wake up, physically and mentally. There’s no better way to start the morning!

#8: Walk when you’re on the phone.

Do you take a lot of phone calls through the day? Grab headphones and vow to get up and walk every time you use the phone.

#9: Squat while you brush your teeth.

You brush your teeth everyday, likely more. If you have an electric toothbrush, you brush your teeth for 2 minutes each time. Do some squats, or lunges, or side leg lifts while brushing. Two birds, one stone, and a perkier tush.

#10: Swap your chair for a stand up desk.

One of the best work station decisions I’ve ever made was to get a stand up desk. Not only am I standing more (duh), I find myself moving more in general. Somehow the water fountain, the printer and my boss’s office is much more accessible from a standing position.

p.s. this is the stand up desk I have (totally affordable, from Amazon), is a VIVO. It’s sturdy, easy to put together and great value. I highly recommend it for a table top option!

#11: Or a stability ball.

Swapping your chair your a stability ball promotes good posture, core strength and balance. Plus, it’s like a rolling chair but you can bounce.