8 Ways to Stay Active at Home

We hear a lot about the dangers of sitting at work. Many of us spend over 8 hours planted in front of a computer or stuck in meetings where the only option seems to be sitting. Given this reality, the focus on standing and walking more at work makes sense. But lets not overlook how the dangers of sitting lurk at home as well.

Just as our offices now revolve around chair sitting, so too do our homes. We sit in chairs or on couches to eat, read, watch television, and relax. The boundaries of work and home are more blurred than ever as well, so we often are sitting to work even at home. The combination of sitting at home and work can lead to an entire day of inactivity. In fact, some estimates show the average person is inactive for 21 hours a day! All of this inactivity not only increases your risk for long-term health problems, it also can make you feel tired, achy, and stiff.

To keep your body feeling energized, strong, and flexible, you need to use it - not just plop it in a chair or on the couch all day. The good news is that finding ways to engage your body at home is even easier than at work because you can control your own space and have more flexibility to change your routines.

Getting started is easy, too. Here are eight ways you can move more when youre at home.

1. Pillow Plan

When you come from work, you might be tempted to spend a few hours sitting on the couch, even if you were sitting all day. To avoid this temptation, place throw pillows flat on the couch cushions. before you leave in the morning. Having to physically move the pillows before you sit down will serve as a reminder that you had different intentions than to sit this morning. Instead, you can stand up or sit on a pillow on the floor for 15 or 20 minutes.

2. A Stand-Up Kitchen

The kitchen offers great opportunities to spend more time being active. First, make your kitchen a comfortable place to stand while preparing meals. Add an anti-fatigue mat at your sink or stove. These mats provide comfortable cushioning and promote healthy circulation. They reduce feelings of fatigue and make it easier to stand for longer periods of time. Second, use the kitchen counter as a tall table. Try standing at a kitchen counter to eat for one meal a day. Breakfast often is the easiest one. Simply avoiding 15 to 20 minutes of sitting can make a big difference when done everyday.

3. Make the Remote Remote

The rise of automation is a major reason for the drop in activity in our lives. We dont need to leave our seats to change channels, turn on the lights or switch on the fan. To help avoid long periods of time on the couch, try putting your remote controls away for two days a week. See how getting up to change the channel or adjust the lighting impacts your sedentary habits for the better.

4. Perching - Not Just for the Birds

After a long day, its okay to give your body a rest, but there are alternative resting positions to sitting at a 90 degree angle in a chair. Perching is a halfway point between sitting and standing. You can perch by placing your backside on the edge of a couch or table. With your feet shoulder width apart, your hips are at about a 135 degree angle rather than the dreaded 90 degree angle. This angle relieves pressure on the thighs, sit bones, and the lower back. When you perch, you also don't use a backrest and therefore engaging your core and leg muscles as support for this posture.

5. Stairs as an Exercise Machine

Your stairs are one of the best ways to stay active at home. Instead of complaining about a trip up the stairs, consider it a great opportunity to get active. Stairs also are the perfect place to do easy strength training, such as calf raises or tricep dips. Sneak in these exercises while the kids are playing or while listening to a favorite podcast.

6. Get More Out of Cleaning

Rather than spending an entire day doing major home cleaning, clean a little each day. Vacuum the house one day. Dust on another. Spruce up the kitchen on another. Cleaning involves engaging the body, stretching, reaching, and bending - all of which are mobility we should be aiming to maintain. Spending 10 or 15 minutes every few days doing these types of activities can add up over time.

7. Work on Your Feet

Most of us spend hours on our computers at home, in addition to computer time at work. Instead of spending hours on the couch or at the kitchen table on your computer, place your computer where you can stand up and work, such as at a kitchen counter. Use a large box or crate to raise up your laptop on a desk. Not only will you avoid the draining effects of sitting, you might be less likely to spend lots of time working at home.

8. Social Sitting

Just like the throw pillows are a cue to not sit on the couch, you can create other cues to remind you to move more. You know how easy it is to open Facebook , Instagram, SnapChat, and scroll through your feed for way longer than intended. You can cut back on this time and make it better for you by committing to standing when you check your social feeds. You will feel better for it and likely spend less time looking at a screen.

The key to adding more activity into your day is to change your mindset. Think about sitting in chairs or on the couch as something you choose to limit. Then you can start to see your house as an opportunity for movement rather than a place for just more sitting.