These boots were not made for walking – apparently.

A friend convinced me that I needed to get a pedometer to see how active I am during the day. So, it just so happened that there was a Groupon recently for a nice Omron pedometer. I bought it. It sat on my desk for a while because I thought I didn’t really need it. I am a young active guy who gets plenty of exercise. At least I always thought I was pretty active.

I was wrong.

The company said I should aim for 10,000 steps a day. I am lucky if I get 5,000 in my day. So much of my time is spent sitting at a desk, on a computer, and on the phone. Basically, not moving. 

I can’t always make it to the gym to get a workout, so I have to incorporate more movement into my day to keep fit. Plus, that is what On Track Daily is all about – doing small daily changes to work toward a larger goal. 

My goal is that 10,000 step mark. However, I am not going to get it tomorrow. I do challenge myself to beat how many steps I did the day before. I aim for at least 100 more. Sometimes, that means walking around the living room before bed, but I do it. 

I am now very aware of how little exercise I get in the days I don’t go to the gym. So, I have been adding little workouts to my day. Here are a few of the things I have started doing to be more active:

1.  Parking in the farthest parking spot at the office – it forces me to walk more. 
2. Doing 25 calf raises each time I get to a staircase. If I am feeling crazy I do 25 on each leg. (if no one is in the stairwell, that is. I get weird looks otherwise). 
3. Purchasing the pedometer to keep track of my movement (an awakening moment!) 
4. Pushups before I shower – at least 25, sometimes more – depending how much of a rush I am in. Like everyone, some mornings are more hectic than others. 
5. I do hand grip exercises when sitting in traffic with a Grip Strengthener. Here is one.
6. I now walk and talk when on the phone. Luckily, I have an office where I can shut the door, so I do small laps around my office when on a long phone call or just leaving a message. 
7. I incorporate simple stretches into my day using basic yoga stretches. I do some of these easy yoga stretches. A quick Google search reveals a lot more, plus there is even an app for that!  
8. I do standing squats against the wall when I get home to get my blood moving. 

These are just a few of the things I do to add a little extra activity into my day. I am always looking for more ideas. What small activities have you added to your day to burn a few extra calories?

.:MF