How to Fit More Activity into your Daily Routine

I don’t know about you, but this last winter has felt like the longest ever. The cold, dark days seemed to go on for ever and have left me feeling distinctly ‘meh’.

For a while now I’ve been desperately trying to summon up enough motivation to start running again, or doing something to get some level of fitness back. But the truth is that I spend most days feeling totally overwhelmed just coping with work, the children, general house and life admin, and I just don’t have the energy to make major life changes.

Despite being the unhealthiest and unfittest I’ve ever been, and despite knowing that a bit of exercise will make me feel so much better, I’ve still struggled to make the changes.

Like many things in life, the best approach when you don’t know where to start, is to just start. Do something small everyday and it can soon make you feel better and improve your wellbeing.

Here’s a few easy ideas of how to fit more activity into your daily routine.

The Right Kit

A lot of my existing sports kit is a little (ok, a lot) tight on me now. When you’re already feeling a bit self conscious and lacking confidence, it’s important to feel comfortable. Luckily adidas got in touch and gifted me some great clothing to help me look and feel good while being more active. First on my list was a new sports bra, as after two children my old ones are just not up to the job! With a decent high support sports bra I felt so much more confident.

I also was really excited to get myself some new leggings (couldn’t help but relive my 90’s obsession with the 3 stripes!)

I also picked myself out a pair of trainers, as footwear is so important. I needed some versatile trainers that can stand up to playing with the boys at the park or keeping up with them on the school run

Take the Stairs

One of the easiest ways to get more activity into your day is to take the stairs instead of the lift. Climbing stairs is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and can help you burn calories and improve your overall health.

Walk More

Walking is an easy and effective way to get more activity into your day. It’s easy to introduce more walking into your routine and it can have some serious health benefits. For example, at work I always try to walk across the site and go and see people if I need to talk to them, rather than just pick up the phone. I also try to walk the children to school and to swimming and Beavers. I have even walked to work a few times, it is 2.5 miles, so it isn’t always practical due to time constraints, but when I’m not in a rush I like to talk a walk.

Take Active Breaks

I’m so guilty of not making the most of my breaks at work. All too often I will just sit and have a coffee or scroll through my phone. Instead, at least a few times a week I try to go for a quick power walk around the block. This is also helps on those days where you’re lacking motivation as it’s a great way to feel more energised.

We have tried to make a bit of physical activity the norm so it just becomes a part of our daily routine

Make Physical Activity a Priority

Finally, the most important way to get more activity into your day is to make it a priority. Schedule time for physical activity in your daily routine and stick to it. Remember, even small amounts of physical activity can have significant health benefits, so every little bit counts.

I was gifted items of clothing from adidas for the purposes of this post. All words and opinions are my own.