We all know exercise is good for our health. It gives us more energy, keeps us healthy, and grants us a longer, more enjoyable life. Yet, we often struggle with getting enough exercise. Here are some tips to easily increase your activity and get healthier.

Time It

The first thing you need to do is schedule it. Schedule it at the same time every day or week. Exercise must be part of the routine, or it won’t happen. If we only exercise when we feel like it, it happens rarely---if ever. Plan a specific time. Every day at lunch, I am going to walk for 30 minutes. Monday and Friday morning, I will go to the gym for 45 minutes. On Tuesday and Thursday, after work, I will go for a 45-minute bike ride. At first, set a reminder alarm on your phone until you have a routine.

Place It

Have a plan for where and what you are going to do. Start simple. Walk, do some yoga, Pilates, or even just some push-ups. But have a plan of what you are going to do where. Don’t plan anything big to start. If you aren’t exercising regularly, schedule a 20-minute walk or 10 minutes of yoga. Don’t plan a 50-mile bike ride to start. Plan more than you are doing now. The key is not how long. It’s how often.

Enjoy It

Pick an exercise that you can enjoy. It may not be your favourite thing to do at the beginning, but it should feel good after you do it for a while. If you like to walk outside, do that. If you like to jog on a treadmill, do that. If you like to go for a bike ride, ride away. If you’ve told yourself, ‘I don’t like exercise,’ you’re lying to yourself. Try something, and do it regularly. Eventually, the happy brain chemicals you get from exercising will generate happy vibes in your head.

Vary It

Don’t just do one exercise. Schedule in a few different types. Monday, go walking. Tuesday, do some Pilates. Thursday, go swimming. Friday, play pickleball with friends. A wide variety of exercises keeps it exciting and builds a range of movements. Exercise variety trains your muscles and nerves to adapt to different movements.

Tripod It

Try to hit three main areas with your exercise: Endurance, Strength, and Flexibility. Endurance is when your heart rate is elevated to a high enough level for at least 20 minutes. Strength training doesn’t mean just weight. It means push-ups, planks, squats, and exercises that keep your muscles strong. Finally, as we age, we lose flexibility, so try to incorporate some stretching or activities that develop your range of motion, like yoga. A 10-minute gentle stretch after every exercise is a good idea.

Friend It

Exercising with someone else makes it more fun and keeps you accountable. It can be with a friend, your spouse, or even your parent or child. Adding a social element not only makes it more enjoyable, but you are also building a relationship at the same time. Double your pleasure!

Hear It

If you would rather exercise alone, you can use the time to listen to podcasts, lectures, or music. Listening helps pass the time. We all have things we want to listen to but never seem to have the time. Multitask when you exercise by listening. Avoid podcasts or music that are agitating. Listen to topics or music that are positive and uplifting. Come back from your exercise encouraged, not agitated.

Don’t Offset It

And remember, don’t exercise to eat more. A little exercise doesn’t mean you can eat that donut. That’s like pushing a rock to the top of a hill and then letting it roll right back down. Stay on the mountain top. Use your exercise as a reason to eat even better. You don’t want to calculate how much exercise it takes to burn off one donut --- it’s not pretty.

Keep It Regular

To get the benefits of exercise, it has to be regular. There is no one-time magic bullet exercise. High-intensity exercise done for a short time every day is very beneficial. Three hours of exercise done twice a month doesn’t do much. Is eating once a week enough? Plan at least 4 30-minute exercise sessions every single week.

Go and Sit No More

Right now, take 5 minutes to plan when you can exercise. Plan what you are doing and where you are going to exercise starting tomorrow. Call or text a friend to meet. Write it on your calendar. Go forth and sit no more!