10 Ways To Be More Active While At Home

This post was sponsored by Reebok as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

One of the things that I didn’t anticipate when I left the corporate world was how that would impact my level of activity. I went from easily getting over 10,000 steps per day to maaaaybe 2,000 steps. Not only does less activity impact your overall health, but if you’re a raging creative like myself, it can also lower your productivity and output. In order for me to be more active, I had to incorporate some activities, change some things, and take a chance at looking ridiculous. 

10 Ways To Be More Active While Home

1. Don’t ask your kids to get you things.
   I know—insane, right? I grew up in the time where my mom would call me to get the remote control that was two steps away from her. But when you’re already home and sitting a lot, forcing yourself to get up and get your glass of water or remote or pen means more activity for you. This is the same premise as parking further away from work. 
2. Plan out your activities like you would anything else.
   I’m a planner—there’s no denying it. Just like I have scheduled conference calls and deadlines, I have scheduled time to work out. I also have time that’s in the schedule to take a walk to get my cortisol levels back up so I have energy to finish the day. When you’re planning out your day, don’t forget to include this. 
3. Lay out your workout attire the night before.
   Remember when your parents made you lay out your school clothes the night before? Well friends, it’s time to do it for yourself. If you’ve already set the intention to get up and get active, you’ve got to follow through with dressing for the part—unless you’re into being super active in jeans which is not my thing at all. 
4. Dance like there’s no one watching (even if they are).
   Dancing is SUCH a great workout and stress reliever. We have Google home set up in most of our rooms so we can have dance breaks whenever and wherever. My favorite thing to do when no one is home is blast the music super loud and just dance it out. And when my kids are home, we turn on kid-friendly tunes and do the same. 
5. Take walking breaks.
   I was talking to my doctor about this one here. She told me that my cortisol levels drop around 2pm so I started to schedule walks around 1:30 just to counteract that. My results? I have way more energy in the afternoons than I used to have. But also: my level of creativity in the afternoons is better too. 
6. Jump rope.
   Growing up, I never played double dutch but I was always pretty good on the regular jump rope. Jumping rope is also a total body exercise that’s fun—as long as you don’t hit yourself!
7. Play tag with the kids.
   My husband and I did this with our kids one weekend and it was the most fun ever. I started it indoors and we ran so much and so hard that we didn’t realize just how much work we had done. And the kids loved it too! Everyone was exhausted by the time we were done.
8. Do hourly challenges with your virtual friends.
   Sometimes we need the extra push from others in our quest to be more active and I get that! Hourly challenges with friends is a fun way to encourage each other to just get up and move. My friends and I will do 10 squats/lunges/pushups hourly. And then by the end of the day you’ve hit over 100 of each. 
9. Be intentional about the movement.
   I think that many of us have said things like “I want to be more active” but haven’t been more active because it’s just been an esoteric goal. Scheduling in times to be active, preparing to be active, and then following through is key. 
10. Set up a home gym.
    I have a gym membership with child care—or I used to. But I never made it there because the idea of getting dressed, driving, making sure I had water, getting the kids out the house, and then planning to be gone for between 2-3 hours was just too much. Being able to have structured workout equipment is a benefit. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. 

**Bonus: Choose clothes that legit fit your body The worst thing in the world for me as a plus-sized woman is to not have clothes that fit my body when I’m working on being more active. Being active in jeans is not my thing and neither is finding out that my pants aren’t squat proof or won’t stay up as I chase kids, dance my heart out and drop it like it’s hot. 

Reebok Activewear Is Size-Inclusive!

And high quality. Not only is it size-inclusive but it’s super cute too. I love being able to put on clothing that I know is going to fit and make me feel good while I’m wearing it. When I put on these leggings, I don’t have to worry about being distracted that they’re going to fall off as I run around and get things done. I don’t have to worry that the sneakers I’m wearing won’t be comfortable after a long day of doing all the things. 

The best part is that these clothes are so accessible since they can be found on kohls.com. They start at a size XS and go up to a 4XL. I’m wearing an XL sports bra that can be found here and 2XL leggings. I feel supported and ready to handle being active throughout my day—whether it’s getting up to grab the remote or play tag with my kids.  Check out their entire line of size-inclusive gear here: kohls.com

What are your favorite go-to activities throughout the day?