10 Things You Do Every Day ThatTotally Count as Movement

You may be moving more than you think.

When someone says you need to “move more,” it's easy to picture a workout. Gym clothes. Sneakers. Thirty minutes you don't have.

But movement doesn't only happen at the gym.

Your body doesn't know whether you're walking because you're “exercising” or because the dog has been staring at you for 20 minutes.

It all counts.

10 ways you're already moving

1. Walking the dog
Bonus points when the dog insists on inspecting every tree in the neighborhood.

2. Vacuuming the house
Pushing, pulling, walking, bending. Look at you multitasking.

3. Taking the stairs
Including going back upstairs because you forgot why you went downstairs.

4. Walking the mall
Shopping may not technically be a sport. We're still counting it.

5. Carrying in the groceries
Especially when you refuse to make two trips.

6. Playing with the kids—or grandkids
Ten minutes of tag may make you reconsider who really needs the workout.

7. Gardening or working in the yard
Digging, pulling, carrying, squatting. Your flower beds aren't the only thing getting some attention.

8. Cleaning the kitchen
Unload the dishwasher. Put things away. Wipe the counters. Walk back to the pantry three times. Movement.

9. Dancing while you make dinner
The kitchen absolutely counts as a dance floor.

10. Taking a 10-minute walk
After lunch. After dinner. Between meetings. Around the block. It doesn't have to be long to count.

MOVE BETTER doesn’t have to mean move harder.

The goal isn't to turn every household chore into a fitness challenge.

It's simply to notice how many opportunities you already have to sit a little less and move a little more.

Take the stairs. Walk the dog. Vacuum with enthusiasm. Dance in the kitchen.

And if you have ten minutes?

Go for the walk.

It totally counts.