How To: Turn Your Life Into an Everyday Workout

Want to know my secret for always being in reasonably good shape no matter what? It is simple – I treat my life as an everyday workout.

Photo by Mike Baird

It really is that simple, I swear. For years people have asked me what I do to stay in shape and my answer was always “Stay active and eat reasonably well”; but last weekend something my wife said made me realize that there is a little more to it than that. I realized that I treat everything I do throughout the day as an opportunity to stay active and that it is the accumulation of that outlook on life that brings about such positive results. It is easy to fall into the trap of sitting behind a desk all day, feeling tired and always taking the easy way out of daily chores and activities; but if you are tired already, not spending 10 minutes here or there doing something isn’t going to cure that malaise now is it? No, it isn’t. So suck it up Nancy, make a childish game out of daily chores and expend a little effort turning your life into an everyday workout.

Over time you will see the results!

If you look at everyday tasks as a game, like a child would, you can improve your fitness without even knowing it!

What caused this amazing revelation was being scolded at by my wife for being “inefficient” while helping friends move out of their condo. I wasn’t using the furniture dolly to stack boxes and transport them to the truck, instead I was carrying them one by one down the stairs and jogging back up them, two at a time. See, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to make the gym due to the move and just adopted what was going on that day as my workout. Even on days when I have a scheduled workout I try to make sure that I approach life this way! Of course this alone will not get you shredded or in Jerdtastic shape, but it definitely will help maintain a solid baseline! Remember, embracing a healthy lifestyle is about little, daily changes not just working out 3-4 times a week or remembering to eat your vegetables.

If you are working out 3 hours a week and eating right, just imagine what embracing the everyday workout mentality can do for you! Adding an accumulated 20-30 minutes of low intensity physical activity every.single.day will bring big results over the course of your life!

“Seeing everyday activities as an opportunity to improve yourself is the key to long-term success!”

So what are some of the things you can do? It really depends on your daily routine; I guarantee thought that you do plenty of things every day that can be made a little more physically taxing. The thing to remember is to turn your everyday workout into a game of sorts. Keep it fun! Do kids tire of playing, or take the easy way out when playing because they might get tired later in the day? Negatory Ghost Rider! And neither should you.

Here are some of the ways I introduce a little playful exercise into my life! Is it silly? You bet. Will you see long-term benefits? Absolutely!

• Every time I go up a flight of stairs, I take two steps at a time (often running). Have you ever watched a kid joyfully bound up a flight of stairs? Do they ever look irritated, wishing there was an escalator? No! They have a little fun with it, and you should to!
• During the moving escapade that started this I turned hauling boxes into sets targeting different muscle groups – Carried 5 boxes over my head working my shoulders, carried 5 in front of me in the curl position to use my biceps, carried the bags by lifting my elbows behind me to hit the triceps, etc…
• When I take the mail out, I jog to the mailbox. Sometimes I just run, sometimes I run backwards, sometimes I skip. Do I look ridiculous? Most definitely, but my legs appreciate the effort!
• When I carry the groceries in from the car I slide as many bags over each arm as I can and try to make it all in one trip. Turn it into a kid’s game, how many bags can you carry at one time! Great way to quickly hit the biceps and shoulders.
• When I take the trash out to the curb I always try to carry whatever it is in such a way that works something. Just rolling the cans out to the curb is boring!
• When I watch TV I often stretch. Leaning over the back of the couch to stretch the hamstrings or sitting on the floor doing butterflies to keep my hips loose. Sitting on the couch like a lump is for adults; how boring!
• When doing the laundry, I never worry about trying to cram everything into one basket. More trips up and down the stairs means more work for my legs!
• I have a pull-up bar at the bottom of the steps to my Jerd-Cave (my basement where the X-box is) and every time I head down there for a little digital recreation I do 5 quick pull-ups.
• Most of all I try to always remember that no matter what I am doing, or how sore I might be recovering from the previous day’s workout, to smile and enjoy whatever it is I am doing. I remind myself to be thankful that I can physically do whatever activity I am partaking in.

Looking at these I am sure you are scratching your head wondering if I have lost my mind, but I assure you that this is a staple to my success. I promise you! (Remember this is most effective when coupled with a healthy diet and regimented workout program, but if you are just beginning to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle this will definitely help.) Unless I am pressed for time I always turn these little things into my “Everyday Workout”. Anytime you look at something and think “It would be easier if I…” just stop, smile and remember to approach it playfully like a child. The mundane won’t be as boring and your body will thank you for it in the long run.

Make sure to let me know what you do to make everyday a workout! Drop a comment, reach me on Facebook or Twitter and Sign up for our free newsletter!