An Easy Way to Start Being Active Every Day - Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less

Have you ever found consistent exercise a challenge? I had a difficult time being active while I was working and in graduate school at the same time. I could not imagine planning time to exercise. Despite the challenge, realized that I might be busy but I could still be active and now I have reached the anniversary of my daily exercise routine!

Last September, I decided to start off small – no extreme exercise plan or waking up at 4am for a 3-mile run. I tried new things that were easy enough to continue long-term and provided a nice increase in heart rate.

How I became more active:

I canceled the elevator and took 3 flights of stairs to my office every day. I would even take random trips downstairs and back up during the day if I needed an activity break.
I planned for at least 30 minutes of walking every day right after work (and on the weekends). I simply walked around my neighborhood and tracked progress with my fitness watch so that I could increase miles and decrease time each week.
After about a month, I started walking half of the distance and jogging the other half, until I could jog the entire time.
I found beginner workout videos on Youtube, started a playlist and did 1 or 2 of the 10-15 minute videos every afternoon.
I started watching simple yoga videos on Youtube and would usually spend an hour practicing at night if I was unable to do any other physical activity during the day.
By month 6, I felt disciplined enough with my daily exercise at home to start a gym membership and I was able to recruit a workout buddy who could enter as my guest for free.

After a year, I have much more energy and my endurance and flexibility have increased significantly! I eased myself back into regular physical activity, so I no longer have to bargain for time to get moving – I can’t wait until the end of the workday or the next morning to exercise.

There is always something that you can do to kick-start a regular exercise routine!