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It doesn't have to be hard.
“You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
“You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
― John C. Maxwell
― John C. Maxwell
K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, snacks?)
K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, snacks?)
Continue scrolling to see how we can go back to the basics with exercise, and how being active does not have to become complicated.
Cheaper alternatives for commercial gyms!
Cheaper alternatives for commercial gyms!
Gym memberships can be quite expensive, however there are free public substitutions that can benefit your life just as well!
Seek social support!
Seek social support!
Your exercise journey does NOT have to be done alone. Join a small group, network, make friends, and have a great time getting to know your community!
Make Fitness A Lifestyle, Not A Duty
MORE INFORMATION
Researchers in the United Kingdom expressed concern regarding the amount of time the public spend in a sedentary lifestyle. They found "adults spend approximately 60-70% of waking hours sedentary." (Biswas et al., 2015).
Many inactive adults believe achieving a certain level of activity per week "requires too much cognitive effort, planning and physical exertion to be worthwhile." (Sanders et al., 2021).
Why can "Snacktivity" help? It doesn't require "skills, equipment, a change of clothing, a high amount of preparation, a large setting, and a large time commitment." (Sanders et al., 2021).
References:
Sanders, J. P., Biddle, S. J. H., Gokal, K., Sherar, L. B., Skrybant, M., Parretti, H. M., Ives, N., Yates, T., Mutrie, N., & Daley, A. J. (2021). ‘Snacktivity™’ to increase physical activity: Time to try something different? Preventive Medicine, 153, 106851–106851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106851
Biswas, A., Oh, P. I., Faulkner, G. E., Bajaj, R. R., Silver, M. A., Mitchell, M. S., & Alter, D. A. (2015). Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of internal medicine, 162(2), 123-132. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/M14-1651
K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, snacks?)
K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, snacks?)
OVERVIEW
Overtime, exercise started to be perceived as something only certain kind of people do. "I'm not a fitness person". "I'm not into all of that". are phrases I have heard in fitness settings repeatedly. When did fitness become something bigger than what it is? Why does it need to be something only for certain types of people?
It doesn't.
Making the concept simplified (again) will not only help sedentary people take the first step in the right direction, it will help them keep taking those steps forward.
Sanders et al. (2021) suggest "Snacktivities".
Having these little activity breaks throughout the day would not only be a gentle introduction into physical activity, it would "motivate and support individuals to be more physically active throughout the day." (Sanders et al., 2021).
MORE INFORMATION (cont.)
We all have taken snack breaks (with food). It is time for society to bring more awareness to our bodies. "Snacktivities" don't need to replace normal snack breaks (although they can!), but can be introduced into our daily routines just like regular snack breaks are!
Need help deciding what activities to do? Examples include "walk-and-talk conversations, using the stairs rather than the elevator/escalator, pacing whilst using the telephone, or squats while brushing teeth." (Sanders et al., 2021).
Find this interesting? Check out why it's "Time to try something different?"
Thinking of some questions? Check out our FAQ page.
Studies have even shown that working out with other people/in groups further increase your adherence to your exercise goals!
(Stodle et. al, 2019)
Commercial Gym alternatives
Commercial Gym alternatives
You don't need a crazy expensive gym membership to get the most out of physical activity! There are many public parks in the Las Vegas area that provide you with free access to workout equipment! You can find an entire list of these parks near you in the links below!
Seek Social Support!
Seek Social Support!
Joining a group/class can do wonders in regards to overall enjoyment of an activity and exercise adherence! Making friends, networking, and having people in your life who you share a connection with through physical activity will further solidify exercise into your life as a regular event. Look below for the links to hiking groups, walking/running clubs, and small gyms that provide a free first class!
Researchers have even found through multiple studies that group exercise classes "... have long-term adherence rates of almost 70%" (Farrance et al., 2016)
This is compared to the 50% drop out rate within the first 6 months of exercise amongst those who are working out by themselves.
Increasing your N.e.a.t!
Increasing your N.e.a.t!
N.E.A.T stands for "Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis"; This is referring to any type of daily activity you do that is not planned exercise, sleeping, or eating.
By increasing these numbers, you are increasing your daily physical activity little by little, which will then help you further acclimate yourself to an exercise lifestyle once you are ready to do so. This can be immensely helpful for those who are starting out from a sedentary lifestyle.
Ways to increase N.E.A.T:
Parking farther away from destinations to increase walking distance.
For those with office jobs, stand up and walk around more often OR If available and affordable, opt for an adjustable standing desk.
Walking your dog/ offer friends/family/neighbors to walk their dogs.
These changes may seem small and insignificant, BUT once added up, they can make a huge difference.
exergaming
exergaming
Exercise doesn't have to be at the gym or outside either!
Exergaming (exercise games) are becoming increasingly more popular in today's society. Wii sports, Just Dance, and Holofit are just a few of the many physical activity video games that are/were crushing the market. These work with a hand held device and a motion capture camera to capture your movements and match them to the video game.
“exergaming can lead to substantially higher physical activity than sedentary behavior (Santos et al., 2021).
“Exergaming can also support therapeutic and rehabilitative procedures in home environments (Ambrosino et al., 2020). “
References
Corbin, C. (n.d.). Exercise intensity and enjoyment: A trade-off. Human Kinetics. https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/physical-education-and-health/exercise-intensity-and-enjoyment-a-trade-off#:~:text=The%20dropout%20rate%20for%20adults,t%20enjoy%20vigorous%20physical%20activity.
Farrance, C., Tsofliou, F., & Clark, C. (2016, February 24). Adherence to community based group exercise interventions for older people: A mixed-methods systematic review. Preventive Medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743516300147#:~:text=Conclusion,adherence%20rates%20of%20almost%2070%25.
Rüth, M., & Kaspar, K. (2021, February 26). Educational and social exergaming: A perspective on physical, social, and educational benefits and pitfalls of exergaming at home during the covid-19 pandemic and afterwards. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644036/full#B59
Stodle, I. V., Debesay, J., Pajalic, Z., Lid, I. M., & Bergland, A. (2019, June 7). The experience of motivation and adherence to group-based exercise of Norwegians aged 80 and more: A qualitative study - archives of Public Health. BioMed Central. https://archpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13690-019-0354-0#:~:text=Participants%20reported%20that%20attending%20group,important%20in%20their%20everyday%20lives.
Watch our video!
Watch our video!
This video provides some ways to increase the amount physical activity for all age groups!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May). Physical activity breaks for the workplace - centers for disease ... Physical Activity Breaks for the Workplace. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/resource-center/pdf/Workplace-Physical-Activity-Break-Guide-508.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, July 12). Health benefits of physical activity for children, adults, and adults 65 and older. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/health-benefits-of-physical-activity.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023a, April 13). How much physical activity do older adults need?. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm
Christine J. Hopple (2018) Top 10 Reasons Why Children Find Physical Activity to Be Fun, Strategies, 31:3, 40-47, DOI: 10.1080/08924562.2018.1442272
Help your kids get more physical activity. Help your kids get more physical activity - Move Your Way. (2023, December 4). https://health.gov/moveyourway/get-kids-active
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