How to Be Active

Co-authored by Pete Cerqua

Last Updated: March 5, 2024 Approved

Being active can make you a healthier person, but for many people, physical activity can seem like a chore. The difference between viewing exercise as boring or difficult and thinking of it as a fun, enjoyable activity lies in choosing an active lifestyle that's right for you. To be active, you only need to find the right activity, set reasonable goals for yourself, and identify the right sources of motivation to keep you going. If you can tackle all this, you'll be up and active in no time.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Taking the First Steps

1
Start walking. Becoming more active in your life doesn't mean you have to jump straight into training for half-marathons and maxing-out your bench press at the gym. You don't have to be intimidated by fancy exercise machines and weight-loss jargon, you don't have to get locked into expensive gym memberships and commitments. All you've got to do is start moving at your own pace, and learning to enjoy being active.^{[1]
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National Health Service (UK)
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- Start walking for 15 or 20 minutes a day, just a mile or two in a loop around your neighborhood. Walk at a comfortable pace, quick enough that you might build up a light sweat by the time you get back to your house. Make it comfortable. Regular walks will get you in shape for more strenuous exercise.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Pete Cerqua
  Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
  
  Expert Interview. 30 June 2020.}
- Consider working more walking into your daily work commute, or by walking to school with friends instead of taking a short drive. Vary the route you take to keep things interesting.
- If you feel bored or uninspired by your walks, listen to music, audio books, or talk on the phone while you do it to maximize the time. Stay busy and stay active.
2
Stand up at work. Recent studies reveal that sitting for long periods of time can have a negative effect on overall health and lifespan. If you work somewhere you generally sit for many hours a day, consider working at a standing-desk, or just standing up and doing your work whenever possible. If it doesn't require that you sit, stand up and use your legs. You'll likely notice a difference in your energy levels and feel better at the end of the day, rather than more tired.^{[3]
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American Heart Association
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- Treadmill desks are also increasingly common at workplaces and in the home. If you've got an old treadmill gathering dust in the basement, consider getting or setting up a make-shift desk on which to do your work while walking at a casual pace.
3
Exercise while watching TV. Many of us are in the habit of relaxing with screen time in the evening, and it's tough for workout sessions to compete with your favorite entertainment. The good news is, it doesn't have to! There are several simple changes to your routine that can make your Game of Thrones addiction motivation to exercise, instead of a barrier:
- Scoot the couch back and stand while watching. Try doing squats and lunges, stretches, or leg lifts while watching. Even standing and sitting repeatedly is a form of exercise.
- Challenge yourself to a certain number of push ups or sit ups during each commercial break.
- Move a stationary bike or other exercise machine where you can use it while watching the screen.
4
Start with small amounts of exercise. It won't help to push yourself so hard that it makes you miserable. Choose a set that feels doable for you, whether that's 30 seconds of walking in place or 20 push ups. A comfortable, achievable set that you can repeat several times will help you develop good habits and build up to more strenuous exercise.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Interview. 30 June 2020.}
- Take a short rest and stretch your muscles after each set. Other than loosening your muscles and warming them up for activity, stretching will also help you avoid the soreness that can turn beginners off of sudden exercise. If you go play basketball for the first time in several years, you're likely to be sore the next day, making it unlikely that you'll be enthusiastic to go again soon. Stretching will help alleviate that soreness.^{[5]
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Don't overdo it at first. A good way to ease into becoming more active is to try a new physical activity for at least, but no more than, 20 minutes a day in the beginning. Tiring out your muscles by doing too much won't do your body any favors, but you need to stay at it long enough to get your heart rate up to feel the benefits of your new active lifestyle.^{[6]
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University of Wisconsin Health
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6
Try to do something active every day for twenty minutes. Pick a time that will be convenient, or identify a time that you're usually inactive, or use for television-watching, which you could replace or supplement with some tiny activity.
- One of the most common things that keeps people from getting active is that they don't have time. But, if you usually watch TV or mess round on the internet for a couple hours each night, taking 20 minutes from the routine will still leave you the relax time you need at the end of a long day, but gives you the opportunity to get a little more active at the same time.
Help yourself reinforce new habits by acknowledging the improvements that exercise brings to your life. Even in the short-term, exercise can boost your mood and improve your sleep patterns.^{[7]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} In the long-term, an active lifestyle provides you with a more capable and comfortable body.^{[8]
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Research source} Stay focused on these benefits. If your exercise routine isn't making you happy, adjust the schedule or the type of exercise until you find one that does. Staying fit is a long-term project, and it's okay to take a while to find the right approach.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Finding the Right Activity

1
Join up and play an informal sport. If you're a gamer, consider dropping the Xbox controls and playing a physical game in the great outdoors. You don't have to be an expert to play informally at the park with friends, or join a beginners' league for a sport of your choice that'll get you moving and having fun in a light competitive atmosphere.
- If you like traditional and team sports, consider:
  - basketball
  - touch football
  - soccer
  - softball
  - tennis
- If you're not a fan of traditional sports, but want to actively compete, consider:
  - ultimate frisbee or disc golf
  - kickball
  - humans vs. zombies
  - Parkour
  - capture the flag
  - paintball
If competitive sports aren't your thing and you prefer the pristine sounds of nature, take up hiking. Contemplate your life in solitude, and traverse as many miles as you can on foot. Seek out the great hikes in your area, checking out state and national parks for scenic vistas and beautiful trails. It's one of the cheapest and most rewarding ways of getting active and appreciating natural beauty.^{[9]
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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3
Consider signing up for an exercise class. If you have trouble keeping to a routine yourself, or you just want to get active under the guidance of an instructor, sign up for a regular aerobic exercise class that'll get you moving regularly in a structured environment. Meeting up in a public place with strangers can be a good way of both motivating you to keep up and not caring how you look. It's just a bunch of strangers, after all. The differences are subtle, and not that complicated:
- Aerobics is high-energy cardiovascular exercise
- Zumba is a dance-aerobics that's fun and energetic, and done to music
- Yoga is an ancient series of difficult poses and stretches that build strength and flexibility
- Pilates is like a combination of core-strength training and aerobic yoga
- If you're going to commit to a gym membership, you can also take advantage of the weight room and the pool, good ways to get active and use fancy equipment you don't have at your own house. It can be fun!
Advance from walking to jogging. If you enjoy regular walks, consider amping them up a bit into jogging and invest in a good pair of shoes. Start slow and build up gradually, finding good paths to run on and explore. The more you run, the more you might enjoy it, and start considering training for a 5K, or even a mini-marathon once you take the plunge.^{[10]
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Cities and towns have never been more bike-friendly. Most towns have lanes specifically designated for bicycles, and drivers are increasingly smart around people on bicycles. Visit a bike shop to get a bicycle right for the road, or consider getting a mountain bike and taking up off-road bicycling if you live somewhere with good trails.
Who ever said exercise had to be a bummer? Head to the club on Friday night and burn calories dancing to your favorite tunes, or just crank up your own favorites and dance in your sweatpants. No one's watching.

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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Sticking With It

Even if you're just trying to get walking every day, having someone to walk with can make a huge difference in your commitment and your attitude. If you don't feel up to getting outside and moving around, it'll be harder to cancel if you've already made plans to meet and start walking. Find a regular time that works and make it an unspoken rule that you'll always meet at that place and time to get active together. Make it difficult to cancel.
Staying routine with your activity is the best way to make it easy on yourself and integrate it into your life. If you've got free time in the morning you might commit to exercise and activity, wake up earlier and get moving. If you've got lots of lazy time in the afternoon, get active then. Start with your 20 minute portion and expand it when you feel ready to, if you feel ready to.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Interview. 30 June 2020.}
Sometimes, when you first start exercising, you'll be quite sore, even if you do the proper stretches and take it easy. The next day when you get up, getting active might be the last thing on your mind. Push through. Typically, muscle soreness will last for three days before your muscles get used to the new activity. That's not to say that you'll never be sore again, but ensure your commitment by pushing through those first three days.
Treating yourself for successfully introducing activity into your life will help you stick to it. Give yourself something to look forward to. If you're going to be enjoying your new active lifestyle, why not get some new exercise clothes? Get those new hiking boots you've had your eye on after bagging a long trail, or check out a new fancy restaurant after exercising and eat something healthy. Make it easy on yourself.

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Question

What do I do if I have respiratory problems and get fatigued easily?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Be sure you exercise in an environment that has good, clean fresh air. Stay away from inner city walks, or walks along roadways. Start small. Walk away from your car or home for five minutes (timed) and then return back. Gradually add time in one minute increments. Consider visiting your doctor to discuss a treatment plan that would allow you be be more active while breathing comfortably.

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Question

How can I be active in work?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Start with using better posture and add movement whenever you can. Change your position, get up and walk around, take the stairs, etc.

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Question

What are 3 ways in which you can be physically active at home?

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

Pete Cerqua

Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Answer

You can easily add physical activity to your day by walking around your home (especially if you have stairs in your house), by going outside for a short walk, or by doing household chores that get your body moving (like vacuuming or organizing a room.

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