Remaining active throughout the day can provide greater benefits to your overall health than exercising for a limited period and then remaining sedentary throughout the day. It is important to remain active mentally and physically through the day. A study from the University of Pittsburgh compared activity levels of four groups of older adults. The groups that had shorter activity periods had higher depressive symptoms and cognitive deficits than the group who were early risers and remained very active.
Ways to keep moving throughout the day include:
- Planning out when you are going to exercise. Set a specific time and workout to complete.
- Exercise with a friend to remain accountable.
- Count your steps with a pedometer to make sure you meet your goal.
- Walk at a brisk pace instead of leisurely.
- Turn off electronics and fill the time with accomplishing chores, gardening, or talking with a friend or loved one.
- Turn sit time into fit time. If you are watching TV or engaging in another sedentary activity, try incorporating movement like squats or jumping jacks into your activity.
- Move around throughout the day. If you are sitting for long periods of time, try getting up and going for a short walk around the office or house.
- Split up a workout into smaller sessions which can help conserve energy and make it easier to manage your time.
- Sign up for a class or an event such as Zumba or running a 5k. Classes are fun and provide accountability, and events can help you set a goal to work towards.
- Reward yourself with positive affirmation or a small gift like a new book or new shoes.
Smagula, S.F., Zhang, G., Gujral, S. Covassin, N., Li, J., Taylor, W.D., Reynolds, C.F., & Krafty, R.T. (2022). Association of 24-Hour Activity Pattern Phenotypes With Depression Symptoms and Cognitive Performance in Aging. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(10), 1023–1031. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2573
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2022, December). Staying Active. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active/