Get moving!

The undeniable truth of weight loss is that you have to burn more calories than you take in. There are many ways to accomplish this, some healthier than others, but there is no way around that basic principle. And every little bit does indeed help. We'll talk more about different diets and workout programs later, but today I want to talk about changing your overall mindset and incorporating exercise into every day living. Because it doesn't really help to restrict our diets if we go on binges in between. And working out hard for a half hour three days a week doesn't solve everything if we remain totally sedentary the rest of the time. Most of us don't have time to focus on our health every single second. We have lives to live right? But there are simple and easy changes we can make that fit seamlessly into our daily living. And lots of little things can add up to a lot of extra calories burned. Here are a few ideas that can be easily incorporated starting immediately:

1) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stair climbing is one of the very best ways to build those large muscles in your legs. You'll be burning calories and toning up without having to hit the gym.

2) Park in the back of the parking lot. There's always empty spots back there, and it forces you to take a few extra steps every place you go. It makes a bigger difference than you might think.

3) Save on gas by walking or riding your bike to work, school or the store whenever you can.

4) Put up wooden swing sets in the backyard that have bars for pull ups and leg lifts etc. Then you can be getting workouts in while having fun with the kids. They will love to have you out there with them, and hardly realize you aren't just playing together!

5) Fidget. When standing in line or sitting in a waiting room just move your body a little. Focus on maintaining good posture.  Flex your calves. Do kegal exercises. Shift from foot to foot. Any small movements done repetitively add up to calories burned.

6) Volunteer to help coach your child's sport's team. If you are going to be there anyway, you may as well be out on the field moving around rather than sitting on the sidelines.

7) Make your date night active rather than passive. Choose hiking over seeing a movie for example. You'll see some beautiful scenery and have a chance to talk.

8) Shop til you drop. As convenient as online shopping can be, a good long walk around the mall can really work your legs.


Be creative as you go about your day. Try to find as many little ways as you can to work fitness into your normal routines. Challenge yourself. Buy a stepometer and set a goal for yourself. Increase it each day just by adding a few more steps to your usual activities. All it takes is changing your mindset from conserving your energy to looking for ways to get moving!