Unintentional Exercise Challenge - Stairs, parking further way etc.

[MelanieC]

I challenge everyone to get more unintentional exercise in.

Walking up/down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Mindfully change your course so taking the elevator is not a choice. I find if I walk to the stairs using a different route that does not go in front of the elevator I will definitely take the stairs.

Park further away

Park on a higher floor in your parking garage. I park on the 3rd or 4th floor so it's another set of stairs I have to take.

Go talk to someone at work instead of e-mailing.

What other ideas do you have? What other ways can you motivate and make yourself do more unintentional exercise.

 

[Cass_Eh]

You could also take the stairs instead of the escalator.

Thats all I can think of.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Today my unintentional exercise was hauling hundreds of pounds of fabric bolts in to the house and stacking them. I know I got some cardio and strength work from it! When our little community theater's storage room has its roof fixed, I'll get to haul it all back too.
Other strange exercise for me recently has been house cleaning. (The place looks like a tornado has been through...) As I bend down to pick up yet another pile of more-stuff-we-don't-need, I am thinking, "oooh, squats, and bicept curls, and wow I am not dreading labor but embracing the opportunity!" Really, it's a mess here and I will be embracing many of these opportunities in the next week and a half. Next week the kids are with GMa and Gpa so I'll really get a chance to double time the squats/curls/cleaning "workout."

 

[tinkamom]

Hey Melanie! One afternoon I played follow the leader with DGD4, that was great exercise. She had me skipping and jumping and hopping on 1 foot!

 

[tiggerlover]

I try to do this all of the time, the more unintentional exercise the better. I work in a bookkeeping department and I keep the checks on the other side of the office instead of on my desk....this way every time I need to print a check I have to walk to get them.

 

[tbstein]

At work, I will put the register at the farthest point so I have to walk more while I am there. May seem weird, but when you run from the back of the building to the front of the counter to hand the guest their meal at the front window, at the end of the night, I can feel it!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Melanie, Great idea! Lately I've been making my "carrying" trips more with smaller loads. If we go grocery shopping, I take several trips to get them in. I do the same with the laundry. I take several trips upstairs as I carry the loads.

 

[MelanieC]

Ok, so since last fall I've had increasing pain in my knees when I walk downstairs. Not always, and sometimes only a few stairs out of all of them.

Well its' been getting progressivlely worse the past week or so and this morning while I was walking I went down from the sidewalk into a driveway and my right knee buckled and the shooting pain radiated through my knee.

Going down the stairs was excurciating this morning. I've resorted to the elevator till I go to the Dr. tomorrow and find out what's going on. UGGH!

 

[Simba's Mom]

If I have time, either at the bank or elsewhere, that has a drive-thru window, I'll park and walk in delibrately so that I get a little exercise.
I just thought of something else-at the supermarket I frequent, they offer to take your groceries out and load them in the car. I always do it myself for the exercise.

 

[MelanieC]

So how is everyone doing? My knee didn't hurt the day after stepping off the driveway. I was given an anti-inflammatory, so I think that helped.

I was back to doing my stairs at work!!!

 

[denecarter]

When I go to the gym, I always park in the faaaaarthest spot from the door... I explain it to people who have asked that it doesn't make since to go to the gym to work out and then get the closest spot possible!