Healthy Exercise Habits
Page Updated on November 24, 2007
The following habits are to help you increase your physical activity level, and it's not all about sit-ups and jogging. Many of the habits are thing that will also help improve your mental and emotional health. Plus, there are some that are environmentally friendly, so you can feel that you are helping the world by helping yourself.
Healthy Active Morning Habits
- Stretch for 5 Minutes Immediately after Waking Up
- Go for a 15 Minute Walk Outdoors Every Morning Rain, Snow, or Shine
Healthy Active Hobby Habits Remember, you can always rent anything that you don't own. Need a boat? A kite? A Bike? Rent one.
- Window Shop Downtown (No Unplanned Buying) at Least Every Week
- Work in the Yard / Garden at Least 15 Minutes Every Day
- Go on a Bike Ride
- Play with Your Kids and/or Pets Every Day
- Go to a Park (Zoos and Museums Count Too) at Least Every Week
- Go for a Hike
- Play “Catch” with Someone Else or Yourself
- Play a Sport You Love (Bowling Counts if You Play by Yourself)
- Get into Woodworking and Work on a Project
- Get into Masonry and Work on a Project
- Restore and Refinish Old Used Furniture without Using Stripping Chemicals
- Remodel Your House Yourself
- Restore an Old Used Automobile
- Go on a Row Boat Outing (Kayaks, Canoes, Rafts, etc. Count too)
- Go Skiing or Boarding (Downhill, Cross Country, Water Skiing)
- Go Sledding
- Go Rock Climbing
- Practice Martial Arts at Least Every Week (Self Defense Classes Count)
- Fly a Kite
- Go Swimming
- Play at the Beach (No Sun Bathing, Cover Up)
- Create an Artistic Masterpiece (Painting, Ceramics, etc.) while Standing Up (No Sitting)
- Dance (Try Dance Classes)
- Learn to Play Percussion Instruments (Drums, Piano, Xylophone, etc.)
- Learn to Play a String Instrument with a Bow (Violin, Cello, etc.)
- Take up Acting (Try Joining an Acting Class or a Local Play)
- Take up Gymnastics
- Volunteer at a Preschool or Kindergarten
- Volunteer to Clean Up a Neighborhood
- Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
- Volunteer at a Food Bank or Soup Kitchen
Healthy Active Chore Habits
- Clean Your House with Gusto from Top to Bottom at Least Every Week
- Organize Your House from Top to Bottom
- Wash Your Car Yourself (Don’t Use a Drive Through Service) Every Week
- Mow Your Own Lawn Instead of Hiring a Service
- Mow Your Neighbors' Lawns
- Shovel Your Snow (and Your Neighbors')
- Rake Your Leaves (and Your Neighbors')
- Sweep Your Walkways (and Your Neighbor's)
- Clean Your Pool
- Do Your Own Home Maintenance Instead of Hiring a Service (It's easier than you think.)
Healthy Exercises While Sitting Good for keeping yourself active while you watch television or work on your computer of if you are confined to a chair. If you work at a computer, you can set up a reminder to pop up every 10 minutes to remind you to do a specific exercise. (I just use the window task scheduler, using advanced scheduling options, and notepad, but if that's a bit too confusing for you, you could also download programs that make setting up such reminders easier.) If you're sitting in front of a TV, you can set a timer or make a game out of it (much like the drinking games of the college years). Every time somebody says "What?" suck in your gut. Every time somebody sighs, clench your butt. And so forth.
- Squeeze a Ball (or pretend to) in Each Hand Until Your Muscles Fatigue
- Move Your Hands in Circles
- Do Shoulder Rolls and Circles
- Move Your Feet in Circles
- Press Your Feet Forward and Back
- Draw Letters on the Floor with Your Feet (spell something out)
- Wiggle and Scrunch Your Toes
- Lift Your Legs
- Use a Pilates Ring or Elastic Band to Exercise Your Legs and Arms
- Suck in Your Gut
- Clench Your Butt
- Maintain Good Posture
- Do Kiegel Exercises
- Do Neck Rolls
- Sit on a Balance Ball and Bounce
- Sit in a Rocking Chair and Rock
Healthy Active Habits that Avoid Convenience
- Park in the Parking Spot Furthest from the Building
- Take the Stairs Instead of the Elevator
- Turn Off the Self-Propel Feature on Your Vacuum Cleaner and Lawn Mower
- Walk to Anyplace That’s within 1 Mile of Your Home
Healthy Mini-Workout Exercise Habits Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to do every exercise in a schedule workout routine. You can do them separately throughout the day. When you watch TV, do a different exercise during each commercial break. If you're trying to work in your aerobics, which requires more than just a three minute commercial, get a stationary bike or a bench step and work it while you watch. See how long you can go. Can you make it to the first commercial? The second? Eventually you'll be able to exercise during the entire show. (Shows that pump your adrenaline and stress level are best for this, adventure, horror, the evening news, etc., but don't limit yourself to such shows. Feel free to exercise while watching anything.) You can also take breaks from your computer every thirty minutes or so to do an exercise, then go back to work. Just make sure that you don't do anything that involves any heavy weights or jumping around because you need to warm up for such activities. Of course, you can always schedule your exercises in a full workout for the heavy duty stuff.
- Exercise Aerobically for at Least 15 Minutes Every Day
- Do Abdominal Crunches Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Bicep Curls and Triceps Extensions Until Your Muscle Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Squats Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Lateral Raises Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Hamstring Curls Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Pushups Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Lunges Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Upright Rows Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every Other Day
- Do Pullovers Until Your Muscles Fatigue Every other Day
Healthy Full-Workout Exercise Habits
- Practice Tai Chi and/or Yoga Every Day
- Do a TV or DVD Aerobics Class at Least Every Week
- Join an Exercise Class at a Gym, Community Center, or School
- Do a Weight Training Workout Every Other Day