Hello Lovelies:
Do you spend a good chunk of your day sitting on your booty?
Are you stuck in front of a computer for hours at work?
And when you finally get home, do you still feel like you have a to-do list a million miles long?
I feel ya!
It’s really hard to fit exercise into that busy routine, isn’t it?
But I have some really good news – it’s absolutely possible to be more active without a ton of effort, a gym membership or even a lot more time.
In fact, there are some super easy options anyone can add on to their daily workout routine that can ultimately make an incredible difference in our well-being.
You might say they’re really NEAT ways to get your fitness on! (That’s a pun you’ll get in a few minutes, but I’m full on chuckling right now, just fyi.)
This week I invited Maryann Auger of Mani Fitness, a certified personal trainer, wellness coach and group fitness instructor, to teach us the easiest ways to be more active. Her realistic and totally simple answer might surprise you…
Let’s dive in!
Before We Get Started
I am so excited to have Maryann back at mshealthesteem.com.
There’s an important reason I invited her to talk to us about easy ways we can add to our daily workout routine…
Not only is Maryann a certified personal trainer and wellness coach with the experience and knowledge needed to give us helpful advice. She’s also a fellow self-love advocate and encourages her clients and followers to build their own unique, healthy balanced lifestyle. And you know I’m all about that!
I love that she doesn’t have a cookie cutter view on how to create a healthy lifestyle! And her philosophy extends to her views on exercise. It’s something that’s very important for our well-being, but completely flexible to everyone’s likes and preferences.
If you hate it you won’t stick to it, and Maryann totally gets that. She encourages us to figure out what exercises we enjoy and have fun with that.
If you’d like to learn more about her philosophy on the importance of creating your own unique, healthy lifestyle, check out her inspirational interview here.
Now let’s talk about easy ways to be more active with Maryann. /passes the mic
7 Easy Ways To Add On To Your Workout Routine
We all know that exercising has many health benefits – hello better heart health and reduced risk of chronic diseases! It’s also helpful in improving our mood and making us feel more energized and good in our bodies.
But how can we be more active and increase these amazing benefits?
It all comes down to finding ways to move your body that make you happy and that you enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy it, you’re most likely not going to stick to it. Keeping things fun is important!
And there are even some easy ways to add to your daily workout routine without a lot of effort. Let’s talk about NEAT…
Increase Your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)
Your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is basically the energy you expand doing anything that isn’t eating, sleeping, working out or playing a sport. (Source)
That means you could easily increase your NEAT and add to your daily workout routine by doing things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking your car further away from the entrance so that you have to walk more.
Standing instead of sitting and even fidgeting can increase your NEAT! How cool?!
These are all things that you might have to consciously change in your routine at first, but the more you do it the more natural and simple it will become. And your health will reap the rewards!
Want some easy ideas?
Let’s take a look at how things like active breaks, random dance parties and standing instead of sitting can all increase your NEAT and help you to get more exercise.
1. Active Breaks
It’s time to take out your phone! If your work place doesn’t already have active breaks in place (maybe it’s something you can suggest to your boss?!) you can set your own by setting up reminders on your phone.
Every hour, set yourself a reminder to move your body!
That could be things like:
- Standing up to go to the washroom
- Getting yourself some water
- Saying hi to Suzy at the other end of the office
- Going on a short walk outside
- Getting some stretching in
- Doing a 10 minute workout routine
Whatever feels right to you.
It’s all about finding an excuse to move a little bit of moving whether you’re working, at school, studying or doing anything that involves sitting for a long period of time.
According to a McGill University article, taking a break every 50 to 90 minutes:
- Increases attention, focus, and concentration
- Speeds up learning
- Helps with physical discomfort/tension & eye strain
- Relaxes the body and mind
2. Be Active at Home
Another great way to be active for FREE (well, you’ll need internet so it’s not 100% free lol) and from the convenience of your own home is through YouTube videos or Workout DVD’s.
YouTube is full of all kinds of ways to be active. From doing Zumba, Pilates, dancing, HIIT, strength training, yoga, spin classes and more. If a certain way of moving makes you happy, I’m sure you can find a video for it and add some fun to you daily workout routine.
Before I had access to a gym, I used to do Fitness Blender workout videos at home several times a week! Yoga With Adriene is a wonderful option as well.
Another thing that’s great about YouTube videos is that you can find videos that are 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes or even an hour long. So you can easily pick something that suits your busy schedule!
You can also freestyle it. Plan a little circuit on your phone or on a piece of paper or simply wing it.
P.S. Cleaning also counts as being active! Put some music on and clean away!
Related: 6 Benefits of Yoga That Will Make You Want To Start Now
3. Random Dance Parties
Remember when you were a teenager and you would just blast (Disney) music in your room and dance away with no care in the world… or was that just me? (Sara popping in here to admit that I am also guilty of blasting or singing Disney music, or any music, and boogieing away… still.)
Put on your favorite jams and let things loose. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a good dancer (I’m definitely not). This is just about having fun and moving our bodies! And, hey, we get to increase our NEAT while we do it. How great is that?!
4. Stand Instead of Sitting When You Can
Many studies demonstrate that sitting for long periods of time is not good for our health. It causes our blood circulation to be constricted, our muscles don’t work optimally and our metabolism slows down.
When we sit, we usually don’t have a good posture. Our shoulders and our back are rounded, our hips are contracted all day and our muscles get stiff. It’s definitely not a good recipe for health. It can also cause, chronic pain and injuries. (Source 1, Source 2)
We can avoid that by:
- Taking some active breaks
- Alternating between standing
- Sitting while working
- Taking a quick moment to stretch
- Making sure we have good posture while we’re sitting down
- And so much more
Personally, I find standing more often helps you feel less sluggish and more energetic! That’s a win win in my book!
5. Try to Get in More Steps During the Day
You’ve probably heard the recommendation to do 10,000 steps a day. Well, it turns out that it can actually have some benefits to our wellbeing!
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity 5 days a week or 150 minutes per week. Some studies demonstrate that 10,000 steps meets that requirement.
They conducted a study with 30 participants that were considered sedentary (5000 steps a day). After 12 weeks of doing 10,000 steps 5 days a week, they decreased feelings of tension, depression, anger, confusion and fatigue. (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3)
You don’t need to start off with 10,000 steps, you can simply start off by focusing on taking more steps during the day!
P.S. Never feel guilty for not hitting your 10,000 steps. Sometimes it’s just not going to happen and that’s ok!
Related: 4 Incredible Benefits of Walking Just 30 Minutes a Day
6. Remember – It Has To Be Fun
Like I mentioned earlier, the most important part is to make it FUN and ENJOYABLE.
If it feels like a chore, you won’t want to do it and you most likely won’t stick to it. Plus, being active is not meant to be negative!
The goal is to incorporate movement that feels good, makes you happy and doesn’t feel impossible to stick to.
Related: 8 Super Benefits of Exercise and How to Make it Fun
7. Start Small
Usually, we don’t stick to a goal we set for ourselves when we start too big. We get overwhelmed, we have too many things we need to remember and it’s difficult to stick to all of the goals we set. Been there, done that!
I don’t know anyone who can keep up with incorporating active breaks, taking the stairs, working out at home, dancing in their living room – you get the point – at the same time and stick to all of them.
Increase your chances of sticking to your goal of moving more by trying to incorporate one thing at a time. Start with one goal and once it becomes a habit, add on to it!
Related: 5 Goal Setting Tips That Will Help You Achieve Your Dreams In A Healthy Way
Final Thoughts
(This is Sara taking back the wheel!) Thank you so much for taking the time to show us some super easy and NEAT (har har) ways to get our fitness on Maryann! Wasn’t this so helpful guys?!
I love the powerful reminder that exercise doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful and can fit into even the busiest schedule. There are so many different ways to move your beautiful body!
Now it’s your turn! Had you heard of NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) before? What are your favourite ways to add to your daily workout routine?
Let me know what you think in the comments below friends. I’m excited to hear what you think!
Health and love,
Thought of the day: There are so many wonderful ways to move my body! I need only focus on the actions I love and enjoy.
About Maryann:
Maryann Auger, the owner of Mani Fitness, is a certified personal trainer, wellness coach and group fitness instructor. She creates Daily Inspirational Posts where she shares tips, tricks, experience and advice to help you build your healthy balanced lifestyle.
She’s a self-love advocate that strives to help people get fit while loving themselves and their balanced lifestyles. She loves her dog Zea, food, Disney movies and fantasy books.
You can find her goodness right here:
YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
Get started on your healthy balanced lifestyle with Maryann’s awesome nutrition guide right here (or by clicking the image below).
The Nutrition Guide contains
- A look into intuitive and mindful eating
- Information on macronutrients (carbs, fat and protein including info on fiber, glycemic index, etc)
- Specifications on water intake
- What you need to know about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) with extra information on the DRI (dietary reference intakes)
- Explanations on supplements like protein powder, Pre-workout and BCAA’s
- Tips on how to get the nutrients that you need with every meal (the balanced plate)
- Tips on how to read nutrition labels and ingredients list
- A guide on counting your calories, if you choose to, in a safe and effective way (with regards to fat loss or muscle gain)
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Ben Butler
These are great ideas. You can do all kinds of stuff to keep yourself in shape no matter what’s going on around you if you’re just creative.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
It’s all about finding what makes you happy and makes you feel good! Then, you’ll want to do it / them regularly and you’ll reap the benefits! Thanks for reading ♥
Sara
Heck yes! I truly adore Maryann’s advice. When you find something you enjoy doing, including little add ons, it’s a lot more fun. A little creativity, like you say, and things can come together in a wonderful way! 🙂
edwardsmom
Great tips. I DO sit at a computer all day. I did buy a fitbit recently..and I just realized I forgot it today oops. I try really hard to walk at lunch!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
You can set up reminders on your fitbit to move every hour! It’s a tool that I use frequently. Glad you’re getting in some walks during your lunch, I hope they’re leaving you energized and happy! 🙂 Thanks for reading ♥
Subhashish Roy
It was so nice going through Maryann’s tips. And all implementable.Thanks for inviting her & sharing.
Sara
Thank you so much Subhashish! Maryann is truly so delightful to work with and I really love that she always shares such realistic advice. I’m glad you enjoyed her goodness too. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and love with us <3
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Thank you so much for reading 🙂 Hope these tips can help you incorporate more movement in your everyday life!
Sara
You aren’t alone – as a blogger I spent a lot of time on my booty in front of a computer too. I hope your fitbit helps you! You can set little reminders, like Maryann said. And oh my goodness, a lunch walk is basically magic. Always picks me up! I hope it does the same for you :). Sending tons of love your way <3
Erin
Great tips! Some things that have helped me are 1) my apple watch reminding me to stand 2) daily yoga with my kids and 3) standing instead of sitting to work on my blog and social media things every day.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Those are amazing ways to stay more active throughout the day and week! I love it! Thanks for reading ♥
Sara
Those are marvelous tips Erin! And such easy additions to our daily routines. I’m so thankful you shared them with us. Thank you 🙂
Snehal
I didn’t know that those activities were called NEAT. Such a cool term! Well I have been lazing around to exercise. This post has motivated me to add more NEAT! ?
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Yay! Adding more NEAT can definitely improve your health, make you feel better and can also be fun! What kind of activity are you going to try this week?
Sara
I didn’t know that either Snehal! I loved learning from Maryann! I’m definitely motivated the add more NEAT to my daily life too :). Glad Maryann’s goodness inspired you <3
Shannon
These are good tips! I used to have reminders on my Fitbit to love every hour but turned them off (bad, I know) I will turn them back on and check out your recommendations from YouTube!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
I think they’re a great reminder to move every hour. You can also use your phone if you prefer! 🙂
Fitness Blender and Yoga with Adriene were always my fav! You will love their home workouts / practices. Let me know what you think of them when you try them out. Thanks for taking the time to read ♥
Sara
I’m so happy you enjoyed Maryann’s post! In my opinion, it’s ok to turn your reminders off if they don’t work for you. As long as you’re creating a balance that works for your well-being, it’s all good. I don’t have hourly reminders either <3.
I hope you enjoy Maryann's YouTube recommendations. I started doing Yoga with Adriene after she suggested it and I adore Adriene's videos! Let us know what you think.
Also, I adore the Fitness Marshall. It's like a dance party! I highly recommend him too. 🙂 Sending tons of love your way!
terristeffes
I am all about the random dance parties. I feel the need to move so I get Alexa to turn on some dance tunes and go at it for 10 or so minutes. I feel so good afterwards!!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Yay that’s amazing! What’s your favorite song(s) to dance to at the moment?
Sara
YES! I’m all about that too. It’s really such a fun and free moment. I hope you enjoy your next dance party soon 🙂
artch33
Great ideas on how to do a workout. It’s important that you have fun doing your workout so that you can keep doing it. :0)
Sara
Absolutely! If we aren’t having fun we definitely won’t stick to it. I couldn’t agree more! I’m so glad you enjoyed Maryann’s advice 🙂
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
You’re so right! If it’s not fun, you’re not going to want to keep doing it! Thank you for reading 🙂
Makeba
I like these ideas. Creativity is the key, and one can do different things to get in shape.
Sara
Totally agree Makeba! Right on the money. There is no one size fits all :). Our own intuition and preferences truly matter!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Everyone’s so different! We just have to find what we enjoy and what works best for us! I hope you find yours 🙂
Eileen M Loya
I do a lot of housework which leaves me sweating like a horse. I always count that as my exercise. I wish I could do more, like go to the gym or something but out of the routine housework, I am only allowed low impact exercises – limiting my choices to walking or swimming.
Sara
Housework can absolutely get us moving, increase our NEAT and even be a total workout! You’re doing great! And it’s also so important we do what’s best for our health. Walking and swimming are wonderful options <3.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Housework can be quite a workout ! lol
Swimming and walking are amazing low impact exercises but there’s also so many other ways to be active while still being low impact like resistance training, some bodyweight exercises, biking, etc. If you’re interested in incorporating different types of exercises or have any questions, feel free to send me an email! 🙂 Manifitness@outlook.com
Thanks for reading Eileen <3
Porsha Carr
I’m order to do these I need to start ASAP 🙁
Sara
No pressure, hurries or worries! This is just about gentle additions that we can add to our routines easily. And it’s so important that we are kind and gentle with ourselves while we create our own balance too. Take it slow and do what feels right <3. You got this!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
It’s all about taking things slow. If you try to incorporate all of these things at once, chances are you won’t be able to stick to them. Not because you’re not capable of doing it, it’s just a lot to remember and manage. What I found works best is doing one thing at a time and making it a habit. Once you master that one thing, then you move on to the next. There’s no hurries or pressure. You do what works best for you <3
TheSuperMomLife
I don’t have a routine. I kind of just do as I have time, but I would benefit from a routine, for sure.
Sara
Routines don’t always work for everyone, so if things aren’t that way for you and ultimately can’t be that’s absolutely ok. And if they can be and you’re interested, I hope you have fun creating one you adore! Whatever is best for your own well-being and allows you to create a lifestyle that works for you <3. Wishing you the best! Sending so much love you way :)
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Sara said it so wonderfully! Routines don’t work for everyone. There’s never any pressure to have a routine! You can keep these tips in mind and incorporate them whenever you can. There’s no rules. You just do what works best for you <3
Rose A (@mail4rosey)
It makes sense to increase your NEAT. I appreciate anything that gets you up and moving.
Sara
Me too Rose! Great advice from Maryann :). I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Me too! It just makes me feel so good and so energized! Thanks for reading Rose <3
jaye shields
You’re right, I do sit on my bum all day. Not usually, but right now I’m on medical leave from work. These are great tips.
Sara
You aren’t alone Jaye, I spent a lot of time on my booty too. It’s good to make sure you get up and boogie sometimes! I hope that you’re healing well and feeling better <3.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
I hope you’re doing better <3 and I hope these tips help you incorporate movement whenever it feels good!
Yaya
This is a great post and I learned a lot about the little things that I can do to make a change!
Sara
I’m so glad you think so too Yaya! I had a lot of fun learning from Maryann too. Such useful and practical advice. Have fun increasing your NEAT! I know I will too 😀
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Yay, I’m so glad! I hope you have fun and enjoy incorporating some of them in your everyday life! Thanks for reading Yaya <3
Joyce Brewer (@MommyTalkShow)
As someone who works from home, I’m challenged to get up and move around. I try to spend part of my morning – standing.
Sara
Absolutely! It’s honestly so easy to forget to move around, isn’t it? It’s so important to get up and boogie sometimes. I love that that increases our NEAT. So cool!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
I totally get it ! I hope some of these tips help you incorporate some movement in your everyday life 🙂
seaotta
Great ideas! I try to get up and move every hour or take the stairs when I’m heading in and out of the office.
Sara
Those are awesome things to do for yourself! It’s amazing how little things really add up, eh? 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed Maryann’s advice.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
That’s awesome! Those are such great ways to increase your NEAT. Keep it up 🙂
Blair villanueva
These are good tips. I am guilty of sitting for longer hours, so make sure now that i will have walks every hour.
Sara
I’m really happy you enjoyed Maryann’s advice Blair! It really is important we try to move around on a regular basis. Keeping it NEAT is really important 🙂
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Yay I’m so glad my article inspired you to walk a bit every hour. I really hope it brings you joy and makes you feel amazing 🙂
Elizabeth O
These are all good tips for the folks who can’t make time to exercise. Exercise is a powerful mood shifter and I love doing some form of it a regular basis.
Sara
Heck yes it is Elizabeth! I love that you brought up that awesome benefit of exercise. It really does wonders for our mental well-being. And there are little things that we can do to add on to that or get a little boost when we need it. Which is a huge win! I’m so happy you enjoyed Maryann’s NEAT tips ^^
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
Yeees! We don’t need to spend hours at the gym to workout or do crazy exercises. These are all great but if you don’t have the time, just adding some movement in your everyday life is amazing! You’re so right, exercise is a powerful mood shifter and does wonders for our mental health! Thank you for your comment Elizabeth 🙂
Shannon Gurnee
These are some great ideas! I try to park further away sometimes when I go shopping so I walk more.
Sara
That’s an awesome idea Shannon! It’s amazing how simple things like that can really make quite an incredible difference <3. Thanks for sharing that tip with us!
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
That’s awesome, I’m so glad you’re already doing that! It’s all those little things that really add up in the end!
stylelullaby
these are all such great ideas! i do BBG at home and have been really consistent for 10 full weeks 🙂 pretty proud of myself haha
Sara
That’s awesome! Congratulations! It always feels good when you create a goal and stick to it. You’re rocking it <3
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
That’s awesome! Keep it up girl 🙂
VeeatCookBake
Love these tips and ideas to be more active during the day. Some how my smartphone app suggest always 6k steps. Weird isn’t it? But I know the recommendation is 10k.
Sara
Mine has the same recommendation Jasmin! It’s funny! Maybe that’s like… the bare minimum you should do in general? I’m not sure. But you’ve inspired me to look into it!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me love. I’m really happy you enjoyed Maryann’s post <3
Jasmin| Ve Eat Cook Bake
My husband’s, sis in law and all others says 10k. Hmm.. If you learn more about it. Would love hear it
Sara
Awesome! I’ll keep you posted <3.
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
I actually never knew some phones or devices recommended 6k! That’s so interesting. I will definitely look into it and let you know! I’m super curious about that now lol Thanks for reading 🙂
travelevil
Thank you for those tips, will definitely try to exercise more, actually I’m walking 8k-10k a day but it’s not enough for my long hours behind a laptop, do you suggest including some office workout?
Sara
I’m so glad you enjoyed Maryann’s tips! And at 8 to 10k steps a day, I think you’re doing great. But I’m sure if you have the time for an office workout and would enjoy it that it’s a great addition to your routine. I’ve asked Maryann if she has any specific advice for you. 🙂 I’m sure she’ll respond to you soon <3
Maryann Auger | Mani Fitness
8k-10k a day sounds amazing to me! If you can incorporate more movement at work and it feels good, feel free to do it too! Sometimes it’s just enough to help us refocus and feel more energized. Also, when we sit, some of our muscles stay contracted for long hours and it’s not really good for them. Breaking up our sedentary moments with a bit of physical activity really helps keeping our muscles happy and also preventing injury. Keep up the good work and thank you for reading 🙂