(MCT)—Looking to get more exercise, but held back by a busy work schedule? Below are 51 ways to add more movement to your workday, including taking the stairs, pacing while on the phone and marking walking trails.
1. Walk or bike to work once a week.
2. Don’t park your car in the spot closest to the front door. Instead, find the parking stall farthest away. (Of course, take security into consideration.)
3. Stairs, no elevators.
4. Stop the impulse to email. Instead, get up off your duff and walk to a colleague’s desk to deliver a work message.
5. Walk 15 minutes before work. (That’s 71/2 minutes in one direction, and then turn around.)
6. Walk 15 minutes at lunch.
7. Walk 15 minutes after your shift ends.
8. Walk 15 minutes after you park your car at home. Boom. You just put in an hour’s worth of walking.
9. Consider commuting at least once a week. Walking to and from a bus or train stop could be a nice way to break up the routine.
10. Get a headset, or a long handset cord, and pace while talking on the phone or listening to a conference call.
11. No room to pace? Then stand at your desk.
12. Boss won’t spring for a standing desk? Then just stand while you’re sorting mail.
13. Stand while you’re reviewing your schedule for the day.
14. Stand while you’re reading paperwork or riffling through files.
15. Need to catch up with a colleague to dissect a hot date? Do it over a walk, not while standing at the water cooler. Speaking of walking and gossiping, how about:
16. Walk-and-talk meetings.
17. Standing meetings.
18. Create “walking trails” in your building. Levine suggests different colored pieces of duct tape, and signs, to let trail walkers know just how far they’ve gone.
19. Relocate your mailbox to the opposite side of the building.
20. Use the bathroom on the opposite side of the building.
21. Same goes for the microwave.
22. Ditto for the refrigerator.
23. Repeat for the water cooler.
24. And the coffee maker.
25. And the trash can.
26. Find a coffee spot that’s a brisk 10-minute walk away. Make a point to walk there three times a week.
27. Bosses! Take your employees for coffee at aforementioned coffee shop. Conduct a walk-and-talk meeting along the way.
28. Operation #PedometerWars: Challenge your co-workers to get to 10,000 steps a day on their pedometer or fitness tracker.
29. Put social media to work. Post your fitness tracker results to Twitter and Instagram each day. Use the hashtag #LATFit and #PedometerWars so we’ll see it too and help cheer you on.
