How do you break out of your sedentary lifestyle?

[lacieloo]

I'm super sedentary; I move very little, your average couch potato, and if I'm just going about my daily routine I'll get only 1,000-2,500 steps per day. What I want to know is, how do those with sedentary lifestyles find the motivation to increase their activity level? Are there any tips or tricks that could be offered to me?

[DanielleinDC]

Once in a while, I'll go to a park across the street from my home and just walk. I have my music and I just walk through the park, trying not to say hello to every dog I see. 

Nothing wrong with just walking through the park.

[SeattleJumper]

I started jump roping. Look up zendude fitness.com on you tube and see what you think. I’ve been jumping rope about two years…you can do it anywhere, take the rope on vacation, etc…I love it. I usually do it on a mat inside. See what you think. They have a TON of instructional videos. Look them up before you discount this idea.

[Natsuko]

I found one by accident when I went to Black Mountain to explore the petroglyphs. We were ATVing and had nothing to leave but a hair clip and a quarter. It was fun to find one

- Linda Reinherz

[Natsuko]

No I would never discount
an idea. When I lived in Japan it was a school event. One of my boy students came in first for the school. I taught them some jump rope jingles from my childhood. The could all count in English when the jumped. Until my rotator cuff heals I can do nothing that overuses my shoulder.

- Linda Reinherz

[SeattleJumper]

From what I have heard that is a tough recovery. I don't envy you.

Sent from my iPhone

[Audemars]

The park I use has a disc golf course and while this personally has no
appeal to me I do see groups engaging in it regularly and seeming to have a
good time.

Personally, I look for a basketball court and have done a walk/jog to warm
up the joints and then play some b-ball, which is an excellent plyometric
workout if you want it to be.

I'll digress on walking for a bit though. I have until this year basically
hated the idea of walking. But I've gone over to the dark side at this
point. I do one of three things during a long walk: 1) talk to my wife; 2)
listen to music with bluetooth earbuds; 3) think about a problem or
situation from several different angles - which has helped to crystallize
thinking. Before altering my approach, the idea of walking for an hour or
so seemed like torture. Not anymore. Walking IS an excellent aerobic
movement.

[SunsetRunner]

Like most of everyone here I have a very sedentary job. Accountability is utmost important for me. I  get at least 3mile run in the morning get that out of the way before I head out to work at night. It does help that I 'm a creature of habit so I have built that in my routine for years. You have to make the time for you.

[redonright]

Like so many others here, I think a combination of factors helped me. ... I have always been reasonably active, but a year ago, I found myself not fitting into any of my clothes anymore. I was 30 pounds over my healthy feeling weight. I was always tired. My body just ached like someone beat me with a baseball bat. As I watched my mom and grandmother age, I really thought hard about how healthy I wanted to be. My mom had gotten me a fitness tracker a year earlier, and I finally took it out of the box. That motivated me right there. I hated housework, but suddenly discovered I could get mad steps going back and forth with laundry and other things, so that became more fun. While I was on a roll, I noticed other things that needed doing -- the backyard, for instance. Then I committed to 45 minutes of walking five or six days a week, and I realized how much better mentally I felt after a walk -- walking helped relax me and made me more productive and tolerant of the inevitable chaos overall. Finally, this sounds so simple, but I turned off the TV, too. No TV, less couch. ...

[smallgreyfox]

I was super sedentary and a couch potato too. When I got the Fitbit a couple of months ago, I was so out of shape even just walking around the block was a chore. My workplace offers a discount on a gym membership so I started going there and began with the stationary bike, exercising one hour per day (at my own slow pace with very low resistance) with a five minute cooldown. I was able to increase the pace and resistance little by little through the month.

After a month of the bike, I was already feeling a noticeable difference and decided to give the indoor track a try. Tell you what, walk the track for an hour and five minutes a night and you'll rack up the steps! On days I don't have access to the gym, I just get steps everywhere possible. Pacing in my office for half of my lunchtime, parking as far away from the grocery store as I can get in the parking lot, and things like that. I even get many extra steps while doing chores around the house you wouldn't ordinarily be walking with, such as doing the dishes - rinse a plate, then walk all the way into the living room and back before putting in in the dishwasher. Wash a pot, then take the drying towel and pot with you and take the long way to the cabinet by walking out to the living room and back. Even pacing in the bathroom while brushing teeth gets you a lot of steps (and encourages longer tooth brushing, lol).

It really works. There have been three days in the last week that I got over 19,000 steps by bedtime! Last evening, I even managed to jog for the first time in decades. Granted, it was just half a track at intervals (the track is a tenth of a mile so half of it is not a great distance) and then I had to go back to brisk walking for a couple of laps before I could jog again, but still. I am very happy about it, and hope to be able to jog multiple laps eventually.

I love my Fitbit and try to always listen to the little dude who pops up and goads me into making sure I get at least 250 steps per hour. I'm finding that the more active I am, the more I WANT to be active 🙂

[Slowmotion]

Love reading how positive your attitude is!

Don't ever lose your enthusiasm!!! My FitBit suddenly stopped counting my
steps. I was like a baby who lost her soother! 13,000 step power walks
TWICE in two days and no record of either!!! I instantly reverted to my
classic unmotivated self and sat down. No numbers. No challenge. No
interest! I stopped walking! Crazy I know. OK ... having confessed ... and
recovered from my cold, I've discovered my FitBit is apparently working
again ... and I'm getting closer to putting on my runners and heading out
...

Thanks for your positive post. 👍

SlowMotion

[Natsuko]

After reading all these posts I took my dog for a second walk. He was thrilled witless and I added another 2k to my day. He was wagging his tail so much I realized I should give him a second walk every day.

- Linda Reinherz

[Slowmotion]

YOU are a GOOD girl! 😇 I'm proud of you.🎖You set an example for me.

[DRKowl]

i would recommend finding something you enjoy doing either a sport or activity. I Believe there is a sport out their for everyone. I play disc golf (9 holes is about 2000+ steps) and ride my longboard at the park which while doesn't get a lot of steps does increase your heart rate and exercises the mussels in your legs.

[JacquiT1102]

I tend to set alarms on my Alta to let me know to move. Kinda of a reminder. I love to challenge my friends and husband to see who can take the most steps in a week. after the week is up we reward ourselves, (We has a group haven't decided on what yet). But defiantly something to keep going!!! This past week a friend of mine beat me. I was just where you were, your normal couch potato, but I'm doing little things everyday to help. They are HUGE changes, but small, and then the next week they are a little bigger and so on and so on. You will get there, I have faith you will! 🙂 

Keep it up, you got this!!!

[genaw]

Helping others helps me.

I signed up for a 5k race as a fundraiser. At this point, I cannot run 3.1 miles at once. That is ok. Knowing I have "sponsors" motivates me  to do my part.

I also look for times that I am just sitting and ask myself, could this be done standing or even walking?

[SunsetRunner]

@genaw I did the same. My run is on 7th October 🙂 However, didn't get much of fundraising done as my social network isn't so developed 😄 Last Saturday I decided to challenge myself for max distance and I did run 14km ( usually I do 8k-10k when preparing for upcoming 5k ). When I started a couple of months ago I couldn't run 0.5km. The training brings results 🙂

If it happens to me that I sit let's say in front of the TV, then usually I jump onto the exercise bicycle that stands in my living room. I just do moderate spinning to elevate my heart rate but to be still able to focus what I watch. I don't spend much time watching TV though ( I'm not a TV-liking person, but if I see a good documentary or other show then I can get hooked ) but if I do, then why not to make the best of it and "feed" my body as well as eyes 😉

[ManiFitness]

I think once you start moving and being more active, you body will crave more of that movement and you'll want to move more. Personally, it happens to me all the time when I stop working out, I don't want to workout but when I start working out again I want to workout all the time because my body craves that movement. 

There's also little ways to move without "realizing" it which I think some people already metioned like

1. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator

2. Parking as far as possible

3. Take pee breaks, fill up your water bottle, or go for a short walk every hour.

4. Get a dog... joking aside, you puppy will want you to go on walks and they're always on the move which means you have to check on them often (especially a puppy). It's a sneaky way to get some steps in and be active. 

5. Walk to places that are nearby instead of driving there

I hope these little tips help you. 🙂

[Vicki.1]

A journey of 1000 miles started with the first step, anotherwords start with a 1,000 steps a day and increase it to 1,100 the next day 1,200  the following day and so on, if you keep that up you will find your body will want to do more because of the way it makes it feel so so much better.  

[venetiakelley]

One of my suggestions would be to look into Juicing and Juice Fasting (YouTube; Dan MacDonald is a good one); start adding more fresh organic (without pesticides and go's) produce to your diet; look at videos and discussions, read book's on fitness, healthy eating, etc., Keep us posted. I too am coming out of that lifestyle; ever since I recently got my Fitbit...my motivation has been up. Godspeed!! 

[venetiakelley]

"...mostly about commitment, and forming habits." That part right there!! Your post was right on....