- Parking at the edge of the lot furthest from the building.
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Instead of going to the 8th floor where you need to go take it to the 6th floor and walk up the rest of the way.
- Shop at the supermarket strategically instead of going down aisle by aisle go from aisle 1 directly to aisle 20, then back to aisle 2, then to aisle 19 and so on. And move girlfriend, pick up the pace a little!
- When taking public transport get off one metro stop early and walk the rest of the way.
- Choose to walk somewhere, anywhere to run an errand on a daily basis.
- Vaccum every day, other chores too!
- Last but not least, trying to dress a toddler. They'll fight you like it's a battle. I'm always huffing and puffing when I try to get my son in his pajamas lol!
We bought a house in the last year. Pretty soon after a friend commented once you buy a house, you can cancel the gym membership. I was SO naive about how much physical labor would be involved. It is so true, our house IS our gym now. (...Currently repainting the picket fence, yikes. Power-washed and stained the deck and shed last summer - taking it slowly as I needed to with physical limitations (plus weather), which made it take a whole month. )
As part-and-parcel of the whole home thing, I find myself wandering into Lowe's, Marshall's, etc "just to look" a lot more often. I felt guilty about this for awhile because it seemed like such a waste of time and precious energy, but I realized that all that walking around IS actually exercise, it DOES count, and I don't need to feel bad at all! I'm actually multi-tasking!
I do the same thing. Heck, I've gone to Walmart at close to midnight before just to get out of the house and walk around, and not be around food.
Argh. I hate the way that most people, especially Americans, have to do something purely for the sake of it to call it "exercise". Integrate people!
Walk to work. Mow the lawn. Clean the house.
It's all exercise and, better yet, you achieve something tangible out of doing it other than just weight loss/staying fit!
I refuse to exercise for the sake of it!
Rant over.
What do you mean, especially Americans? I don't disagree that being active like mowing the lawn and cleaning the house are great ways to be active and accomplish something else, but why the disdain towards doing something just for the sake of exercise? Sorry to derail but "exercise for the sake of exercise" is ME TIME!!! It's a time that I can just spend bettering myself for the sake of bettering myself. I can de-stress, I don't have to worry about someone else, I can take my mind and my body out of practical use and just focus on breathing and getting stronger. Exercise doesn't just fuel my body, it fuels my spirit my mind my sense of wholeness. In return I can say to you, why do Americans feel like every moment of their day has to be spent doing something productive? If I go play tennis (which is one of my favorite things to do in spring!!) I'm not being productive at all, I'm not changing diapers, I'm not cleaning, I'm not painting my house, heck all I'm doing is trying to get a little yellow ball over a net and if I succeed I feel fantastic!
I was SO naive about how much physical labor would be involved. It is so true, our house IS our gym now. (...Currently repainting the picket fence, yikes. Power-washed and stained the deck and shed last summer - taking it slowly as I needed to with physical limitations (plus weather), which made it take a whole month. 
