30+ quick and easy ways to move more in daily life - going beyond ’take the stairs not the lift'

In many societies, such as the UK where I’m from, convenience is prized, and sedentary lifestyles are on the increase. We are moving less and less - but please, don’t think there’s judgement here! We all lead full lives, and it’s inevitable that we look for those short cuts, to save time and energy.

Avoiding those shortcuts when we can does of course take up more of our time - but we can start small, and point ourselves towards a more healthful life. Because the consequences of a sedentary life are hugely detrimental to our health and wellbeing.

I speak more about this in my blog post about how convenience is getting the better of us and of our health - if you haven’t seen it, you might want to have a read of it here.

If you’re already on board with the idea that bringing more movement into our everyday life is a definite win, read on!

I’m sure we’ve all heard the advice to take the stairs rather than the lift, or to get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest. But what if those aren’t accessible/relevant to us, or we’re already doing them? What other things can we bring in to increase movement in small but significant ways in our lives?

I’ve put together a list of things you can try - have a noodle through it, and see what sparks some ideas for you. There’s no expectation or pressure - just some thinking points, and maybe some things you hadn’t thought of trying before. Start small if that works for you - pick one or two and get those in, and then bring in others when you feel like it. And leave the ones that don’t work for you - whether that’s because they’re not relevant to your situation, or because they aren’t a possibility for you right now. And yes, some of the ideas will be very similar to others on the list, and that’s ok - one might be just be worded in exactly the way you need, or refer to something in a way you have thought of.

Let’s nudge ourselves towards more movement!! Here we go…

(Maybe we don’t want to save the walk though…?)

Move more - feel better!!

1. Order at the bar not at the table!!

2. Don’t leave the thing at the bottom of the stairs to take up later - take it up now.

3. Don’t carry tons of stuff at once, take things a few at a time so you have to repeat the trip (caveat - carrying heavy things is also good for you, but if they’re not heavy, it’s not really worth loading up with a lot of them!!).

4. When unloading stuff from the car, take one bag at a time.

5. Go and collect your takeaway rather than get it delivered.

6. Do your food shop in person (ok that might be right out for busy families lol - it might be a step too far! Like it is for me right now. But it probably takes you about as much time ordering online so it is worth thinking about if you have the flexibility. It might save you money on delivery charges too!).

7. Get a pedometer to incentivise yourself (just don’t be too tied to it - it’s just a fun marker, not the be-all-and-end-all. Look out for an upcoming post on my pedometer use, if you’re interested).

8. When eating at the table, rather than asking someone to pass you something, get up and go round to get it.

9. Be the one to do the thing that needs doing, e.g. rather than getting the young ones to do it.

10. Go the long way round.

11. Put things a bit (or a lot) more out of reach than is most convenient.

12. Mix or whisk your cooking concoctions by hand instead of using the mixer.

13. Take the shopping trolley all the way back to the shop instead of putting it in the nearest trolley point.

14. Park further from the buildings at service stations - you’ll probably find a space more easily too (this is particularly good because you’ll have been driving and seated for a while - extra walking = soooooo helpful!).

15. Put some music on as you potter around the house - you might well find yourself dancing a bit (or a lot!) to it.

16. Get a dog - or borrow a friend’s dog - and walk it!

17. Park further up in the multistorey car park and use the stairs instead of the lift.

18. Get a dog trailer for your bike instead of taking the dog out in the car.

19. Walk around whilst you’re brushing your teeth.

20. Put your phone in a specific ‘phones place’ so that you have to go and get it when needed (bonus = you might use your phone a bit less. Which most of us could do with some help with, right?!).

21. Walk around whilst you brush your hair.

22. Stand up to chop your veggies - all right, you’re not strictly speaking moving more necessarily, but you probably will a bit just because you’re standing up rather than sitting.

23. Use secateurs and loppers instead of getting the hedge trimmers out.

24. Don’t use the automatic door - push or pull one open instead.

25. Get a standing desk, and vary it between sitting and standing (just make sure you get a mat to stand on, and build up gradually to more lengthy periods of standing, or you’ll really feel it).

26. Get a standing desk with a manual handle, instead of an electric one.

27. Don’t send an email or text if you can walk down the hall to your colleague or partner.

28. Walk during online meetings - just turn the camera off first!.

29. Use the further-away bathroom at home or work.

30. Walk or cycle to a friend’s house rather than driving.

31. Put everyday objects like your hairbrush, your toothbrush, your drinking glasses… on a higher shelf so you have to reach to get them (I’m a big fan of getting the upper body moving more - we so rarely do these days!!).

32. Choose the slightly more challenging path over the logs, or climbing over the fallen tree, instead of staying on the flat.

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got for now. But it took me only a day or two to think of all of those (many of which I do myself already) - so I reckon there must be a million more out there!! So what do you think I missed? What would you add? Send me a message and let me know so I can add to the list and give everyone even more ideas!

(Choose the logs maybe…?!)