17 Easy Ways to Move More in Your Life

Everyone knows they should sit less. It's been all over the news and has even been reported by The New York Times that sitting too much makes us age faster. But who has the time to move constantly? You do. Here are 17 ways you can move more starting right now.

1. Stand Up When Reading Your Phone. Even if you're home alone, staring at your phone, just get right on up and pace as you read. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans over the age of 15 average two hours just sitting to watch television.
2. Listen to More Music. Put on an album that makes you boogie and move and groove while you do household chores.
3. Set a Cleaning Schedule. You know those baseboards you've been swearing you'd dust for two years? Well, now is the time to do it! Make a list of all the tasks you've been avoiding, and meet them head on, even if it's just one a day. Eventually, the house will be super clean, and you'll be less sedentary.
4. Get a Dog. A recent study by Glasgow Caledonian University shows that those who own a dog move 22 minutes more per day than people who don't, and this nearly meets the minimum recommended amount of exercise by the National Institute of Health, which is 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
5. Just Watch Two Episodes. Binge watching shows on Hulu, Netflix, or the like is the new American pastime, but try to limit yourself to two episodes before getting up to move around for a few minutes.
6. Window Shop. Window shopping in a cute area of town is always a good way to add some steps to your day and get to know local culture at the same time.
7. Get it To Go. You can still meet that friend for coffee, but get it to go and walk around the neighborhood instead of holing up at the cafe sitting on your booty.
8. Park Far Away. Be like those people who are terrified of door dings, and park on the far end of the parking lot. The extra steps you can add just from a store run is bananas.
9. Walk for Food. If it's in walking distance, hoofing it to the store and back home again is an easy way to move more, especially if you hit the store nearly every day. An added bonus is that your fruits and veggies will always be fresh.
10. Plant a Garden. It doesn't have to be the length of your yard or even outdoors. You can start an indoor garden and still reap the benefits from the added movement you get out of tending to it. Plus, fresh herbs year round? Yes, please!
11. Stand Up To Fold. Sitting down to complete a chore is tempting, but folding and putting away just one load of laundry on your feet can add as much as 100 steps to your day. Plus, you can do this while watching your show of choice without adding any more sitting to your day.
12. Make More Trips. A simple way to add a few steps is to quit trying to carry all the groceries at once. One or two bags at a time with multiple trips to the car and back is a simple way to get moving more, and you'll be less likely to drop the groceries.
13. Join a Neighborhood Association. Volunteer for neighborhood watch or weekly clean up. It may not feel like you're signing up for exercise but you really are. Plus, getting to know your neighbors is always fun.
14. Join a Nature Club. Throughout the country, there are clubs for those who love to walk about in nature. Joining one of these will give you a great reason to get out and explore the world around you. Some even incorporate photography lessons into the walks for an added bonus.
15. Find Fun Exercise Videos. YouTube has hundreds of great, and free, channels dedicated to getting access to physical education and routines.
16. Pace When Thinking. Maybe you're trying to come up with what's for dinner, or maybe you're plotting out a big project at work. Whatever's on your mind, get your feet moving to get those wheels unstuck. Harvard reports on a study done at the University of British Columbia that found walking boosts the brain's memory power.
17. Take the Stairs. You don't have to take all of them, but even adding just a few flights a day is a huge boon to your heart — especially when you're ascending! Squeeze those glutes together as you go, and you'll get extra toning in as well.

There are dozens and dozens of ways you can add just a little movement to your day. Start small and build up to fun excursions like hiking in a National Park or running a marathon — or a marathon shopping spree on a boutique-lined street. Every movement counts, so get those limbs a'moving whenever you get the chance.