My Sister-in-Law coined the phrase "accidental exercise" and I love it! It encompasses any extra exertion you put out during your normal day. For example, not finding a parking space right next to the building, or walking from one store to the next instead of driving. Maybe the elevator is broken and you have to take the stairs instead. All of these things are accidental exercise.
The challenge is to make accidental exercise not so accidental. Capitalize on any opportunity to burn a few extra calories and you will be surprised at how fast they add up. Park at the back of the parking lot on purpose. Make extra trips up and down the stairs. Walk your kids to the playground and instead of sitting on the bench and watching them play, join in the fun. If you work at an office make the trip to a coworkers office to give information rather than sending an email.
It sounds simple but the results are fantastic. Even if your goal is not to lose weight, the extra activity will have you feeling great!
Can you think of other ways to get accidental exercise?
Love this blog post!! I started recently parking further away on purpose, and finding things to do to get more active. I've always been a horrible exerciser, which is why I Love my Wii so much. Even though I did not "get my workout in" on the Wii, I did play the Just Dance 2 game with my kids. We were just having fun, but got a good workout in the process. : )
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