What do you do for activity?

Recently I posted about my workout history and new training routine. I can’t stress enough how my love of exercise didn’t form overnight. It started simply as a commitment to "being more active." Activity is a funny thing. It could be something as simple as vacuuming the living room or as intense as training for a marathon. Movement of any kind is good. I mean, we don’t want to end up like this…

Side note: You guys have seen Wall-E, right? LOVE it. (sorry - Just had to share)

Anyway, inspired by that recent workout post I thought it would be fun and beneficial for us to think about all the ways we are active. Why? Well for 2 reasons.

1. For starters it may make us feel better about ourselves. Let’s be honest not all of us have time to go to the gym for hours a day. When I share my training schedule or you hear of celebrities that workout with their personal trainers I think, unconsciously, you may feel like being healthy and active is impossible. So why even try? You know, the whole all or nothing syndrome. If I’m not able to go to the gym I might as well "fill in your bad habit here." Admit it, admit it… you’ve had this thought before. I know I have especially with "I already ate ‘this’ so I might as well eat ‘that’ too” thought process. It’s the same with activity. I had a friend once tell me if she didn’t have an hour and half she didn’t bother going to the gym? WHY?? Isn’t 20 minutes on the bike better then nothing?
2. In addition to recognizing how much you may (or may not) be doing I hope by reading others responses will give you some ideas. Maybe you didn’t think of taking the kids roller-skating or checking out a local putt putt. No one says "exercise" has to be taking a step class or running a mile. The point of a healthy lifestyle is to simply move more. If that means turning off the TV and simply dancing around the living room then so be it. You’re moving and that’s what counts!

For me, before my crazy fitness goals, my activity included…

1. Dancing (I think we established that) ;)
2. Taking family walks
3. Visiting local parks for trail walking
4. Seeking out stairs in buildings (I have a 5 story rule - 5 or under I MUST take the stairs)
5. Bowling and Mini-golf once a week instead of watching TV.
6. Simple walking MORE (I leave my car at one store and walk to others at long strip malls or shopping districts.)
7. I use the basket at the grocery store whenever I can. (EVEN if I have to buy a gallon of milk and soda for the husband)
8. When the toddler was "younger" I carried him everywhere. You know those backpacks and slings (I had both). Even today I put him up on my shoulders.
9. Playing active video games. We didn’t have a Wii back then but I had Dance Dance Revolution and the Eye Toy.
10. I also looked for ways to add activity instead of shying away from them. I remember jumping at the opportunity to shovel snow and carry the 40lb bags of mulch to the back yard.

Doing those things and overhauling my diet is how I lost 65 pounds. Never once did I go to the gym or run a mile. I lost every pound on my terms by (and this sounds SO cliché) eating less* and moving more. Sounds almost too simple, doesn’t it?

MAN! Why did it take me so freakin’ long to figure it out! Sometimes I just get so mad at myself. Sorry… Let’s get back to the question at hand…

Go ahead, lay it on me. How are you active? What do you do to on a daily basis to move more? Let us know the mundane and the structured. Do you play racquetball? Take a Zuma class? Walk the mall? ANYTHING! The point is to get a good list going to inspire others. I’m hoping to get a few ideas myself! :)

*"Eating less" for me doesn’t mean just eating small amounts. It means eating healthier, whole unprocessed foods that have less calories naturally.