Get Up and Move: Benefits and Tips for Daily Movement

According to the CDC, one in four adults sit for more than eight hours a day and Time Magazine recently found that "only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week". While a little rest and relaxation is fine here and there, living a completely sedentary life can be dangerous for your health

Being active on a daily basis is one of the best things you can do for your health. Exercise has been found to boost your mood, help you control your weight, give you energy, strengthen your muscles, improve coordination and balance, build more durable and denser bones, improve joint flexibility and function, better your memory and improve your sleep. Even more, exercise has been found to lower the risk of health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

Your body isn't designed to sit all day and for a sedentary person, the benefits of exercise, even just small amounts, are truly significant. If you're someone who feels frustrated when you hear "get your daily exercise," it's time to understand it's all about movement and there's very little that needs to be involved!

That's right. It's time to stop thinking of daily exercise as a commitment with minimum requirements like running three miles or bench-pressing your body weight. The amount of exercise can be far less taxing and should fit your fitness level.

Add movement to your daily life.
* Take a walk, ride your bike or do some stretches
* Choose to take the stairs over the elevator or escalator
* Use an exercise ball to sit on at work or a standing desk to take breaks from sitting for long periods of time
* Park in the farthest spot and walk to the storefront or your office building
* Take a "walk break" instead of a coffee break at work
* Get and walk during the commercials of your favorite TV show
* Try using a high intense interval training program that can give you the benefits of exercise in a small amount of time - such as the popular scientific "7-minute workout".
* Set reminders - You can even utilize your smartwatch to remind you to stand up & move around

From small life changes - even just standing up! - to larger fitness goals, getting in exercise on a daily basis is vital to staying healthy.