Being more active

Here is a great list of activities provided by Michelle Drake:

Now it is time to focus on being more active. Even though it's darker
earlier and somewhat cooler, you can still do outdoor activity to help
burn extra calories and rev up your metabolism. Begin by adding steps
to your day! Here are some helpful suggestions. Select one or more
to add to your daily activity this week:

- Get off public transportation a few stops early. Walk the rest of
the way to your destination.
- In safe areas, park your car farther away. Increase your walking
time to and from work, grocery store, or mall.
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Start with one or two
flights of stairs and add more flights as you increase your stamina.
- Join a health club that's close to work and/or home. A quick
workout can be done at the end or beginning of your day.
- Use the speaker phone or cordless phone. Walk around while talking
on the phone.
- When working at a sedentary job, plan breaks every hour, on the
hour. Get up and move around or stretch. Take a quick 5-10 minute
walk.
- Take a water break. Visit the drinking fountain 8 times a day.
Staying well hydrated can help prevent fatigue due to dehydration.
- Sign up for an exercise class this week. Try something new like
Yoga, Tai Chi, or square dancing!
-Invest in a good aerobics or strength training video. Use it regularly.
- Avoid drive up windows. Load your own groceries in your car; pick
up your own dry cleaning. If you have to stop at a fast food
restaurant, walk in to place your order.
-Lose your remote control. Get up to change channels on your
television, or to select a radio station or compact disk.
- Manage TV time and Internet time. Avoid mindless television
watching for hours and hours and stick with watching only your very
favorite shows. Get up and move during commercial breaks. Set an
alarm when surfing the Internet and when it goes off—get up and move!
- Meet with a friend or coworker. Take a walk and enjoy the outdoors
or spend time problem solving while on the treadmill.
- Schedule your exercise time. Put it in your planner, palm pilot or
mark it on a calendar. Plan ahead by having your walking shoes and/or
work out gear packed and ready to go.
- Plan a family outing that involves activity. Go to the park, go
bowling, fly a kite, or go for a walk—and don't forget the dog!
- Clean out your closets this week. Gather old clothes and toys that
you no longer need. Make plans to give them away to charity.
- Walk for lunch. You can either walk TO lunch or walk INSTEAD of
lunch. Walk to lunch spots at a distance from your office instead of
frequenting the closest place. If you can eat at your desk, take
brisk walk first and then eat your lunch.
- Go shopping! If you haven't done all your Christmas shopping, plan
to go early in the morning and do some mall walking before the stores
open. Then complete your shopping and stop for a healthy lunch!
- Work in the yard. The leaves are falling and there still may be some
clean up to do in your flower beds or vegetable garden. Bag those
leaves and use as compost for next year's garden.
- Play with your kids or grandkids. Children need daily activity for
healthy bodies. Wrestle with them, play catch, freeze tag, kick ball
or hide and seek! It's fun!
-Start an abdominal strengthening program this week. Plan to do as
many crunches as you can keeping your low back on the floor, knees
bent, feet flat on the floor and hands behind your head. Lift your
shoulder blades off of the floor using your stomach muscles.

She suggests you use this list to write your own plan.