I Like The Way You Move

Recipe for Body, Mind AND Spirit!

I like the way you move…

That’s actually the name of a song that I have on my iPod – specifically on a playlist I titled “Get Moving” —  a collection of music that lifts my spirit and spurs me into motion.

The more you get moving, the more calories you burn.  The more regularly you exercise, the more it revs up your metabolism, helping your body burn calories even faster.

So maybe you’re not be ready to devote a solid 45 minutes to an hour every day on a fixed cardio routine.   There are some great alternatives to get you started.

This is really interesting:  A study came out last year, reported in the New York Times,  warning that even really disciplined people – the ones who get an hour of exercise most days, but are sedentary most of the other hours — may be putting themselves at risk.

It is actually healthier for us to exercise at intervals throughout the day; Getting up from a sitting or reclining position every couple of hours and finding ways to move increases the heart rate and sends blood pumping to the extremities, may be the ideal way to jumpstart your magnificent metabolism.

Found this tip in an online article and had to share it because I love the idea of a family pillow fight!

“Slip exercise into everyday life, and make it fun. Head outside and go ice skating with friends or shape a snowman with your kids. You can even stage a pillow fight in your living room. That burns 82 calories in 20 minutes, plus you’ll laugh the entire time!”
–Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Speedy Sneaky Chef

I also love the idea of “10,000 Steps A Day” – why not invest in an inexpensive pedometer and measure the steps you take throughout the day – when I wear a pedometer, it inspires me to do even more walking (and I already racewalk 4 miles 6 days a week!)

 Here are some more fun ideas to get moving:

1.  Create playlists of music that motivates you; If you don’t have an MP3, you can set one up on Windows Media Player or get a free download of Pandora stations.

2.  It’s fun to dance with the family.  Sometimes I enjoy just grooving to the music alone with no one to watch but the dogs.  In fact, they absolutely love to dance with me and need the exercise, too!  When they see me put on my socks and get my iPod they know it’s dancing time and they get very excited.

3.  If you have stairs in your home, always double up:  If you need to get something from upstairs, go up and down an extra time to burn some more calories.

4.  When getting up from a chair, do a set of 5-10 squats.

5.  If you need something from another room or part of the house, dance, hop or shuffle your way there (sometimes I put on socks and slide around on the wood floors.)

6.  Get a large exercise ball and bounce on it in front of the TV.  I also love them for doing abdominals as well as sometimes using it instead of a desk chair.

7.  Consider ordering a mini-trampoline or rebounder and do intervals of jumping or jumping jacks.  Not only does this boost your metabolism, it clears your lymph nodes and lubricates your joints.

8.  Do a little research on isometric movements.  You can do push-ups against the countertops in bathrooms and kitchens that are less strenuous on the muscles.  I do chest tightening exercises often while watching a favorite program with Jeff.

9.  Now I leave my laptop on top of a high dresser so that several times throughout the day when I check emails or have to write short responses, I am standing up while working.

What are some creative ways you can get moving?