We have a real problem in the United States. More than any other country in the English-speaking world, we have the highest prevalence of overweight adults.
From the above hyperlinked Wikipedia article:
- In 2013, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that 57.6% of American citizens were overweight or obese. The organization estimates that 3/4 of the American population will likely be overweight or obese by 2020.
- The latest figures from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] (CDC) as of 2014 show that more than one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults age 20 and older and 17% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were obese.
- A second study from the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC showed that 39.6% of US adults age 20 and older were obese as of 2015-2016 (37.9% for men and 41.1% for women).
There’s two primary reasons this epidemic is happening.
1) We’re all very aware that restaurants over-portion plates and/or attempt to upsell with super-sized items. Some simple tips to scale back:
- Eat at home, preparing meals with healthy choices
- Review a menu and pick out what you’re going to get before you go (record it in your tracker ahead of time)
- Just say no to tempting “freebies” (such as tortilla chips and salsa, oversalted / oiled peanuts)
- Ask for a to-go box at the same time you place your order; split the meal in half immediately when it’s served
- Split what you order with your dining companion
- All sauces, dressings, etc. need to be on the side
- Increase your lean proteins, fresh fruits, and vegetables
- Decrease your carbs, fats, sugars, calories
2) The other is: We’ve gotten really lazy. We’ve replaced things we used to do with human-power with vehicles and technology. If you want to get more active, you simply need to make it a priority to work it into your every day life.
Here are some simple, free or inexpensive, ways for physically-capable people to increase activity in a daily routine:
Excuse #1: The Weather Is Too Awful (Snow, Rain, Cold, Hot, Windy) to Be Active Outside
Solutions:
- Get into work half an hour early, leave half an hour early, do a lap (or more) at a mall you pass on the way home / to pick up the kids
- Walk the nearest indoor shopping center on your lunch break
Excuse #2: I Just Don’t Have the Time
Solutions:
- Walk or bike to work, school
- Walk from home to your kid(s)’ daycare or school to drop off and/or pick up
- Use your car or public transit to get most of the way to the destination, but then walk or bike the rest of the way
- Grab the parking spot as far from your building entrance as possible, so long as its safe to do so
- When possible, take stairs instead of escalators and elevators
- Have standing or walking meetings (or play golf for a long meeting)
- Stand during phone calls
- Walk to coworkers’ desks to communicate
- Consider a standing desk, or desk that adjusts from seated to standing
- Leave your desk at lunch (or even your short breaks) and find the nearest spot or park for walking
- Walk to your lunch destination
- When nature calls, go to the restroom furthest from your desk
- When running errands, park central to all of your destinations and walk between them instead of drive
- Wear the baby during errands or even just around the house
- Skip the grocery bagger, vehicle valet, baggage porter service
- Carry a basket (or the items directly) at the store instead of pushing a cart / buggy
- Walk to errands, restaurants, shopping centers from your home
- Get up to change the television, thermostat, lights instead of opting for the remote or smart device
- See who’s at the door in person, using the peephole or a safe method, instead of reaching for the smart device
- Replace your robot vacuum cleaner or lawn mower with one that’s human-pushed
- Clean the house yourself (or you have too much house)
- Do your own lawn and landscaping maintenance (or you have too large a yard)
- Do your own damn errands! Don’t get meals or groceries delivered
- Walk. The. Dog(s). Maybe consider applying to be a dog walker
- DIY house projects, if you’re experienced enough or willing to learn via YouTube videos (like indoor house painting)
- Explore a hobby or interest that gets you moving, like photography
- Incorporate the kids or family (i.e., seek out Baby-and-Me classes)
- Have a device-free night (see what you can creatively replace the time with)
- Prepare the previous day or night: pack your gear, walking shoes
- Find ways to gain more time back in your day
- Write down all the places your time goes and find out what you can cut in order to reprioritize (lessen some of your commitments)
The more you can incorporate friends and family into your activity routines, the healthier everyone becomes and is setup for lifelong success. Plus, it makes it more fun, which leads me to the next excuse…
Excuse #3: Exercise is Boring
Solutions:
- Some roller skating rinks offer super-cheap ($5!) drop-in lessons (with skate rental)
- Learn to geocache and bring along the whole family
- Find local groups for hiking, biking, kayaking, walking, running, swimming, climbing, skiing
- You loved the playground slides and swings as a kid? Do them as an adult…
- Frisbee golf / disc golf tends to require little investment, since there often are not greens fees
- Live near a beach? I’m jealous! Go for a long walk and look for seashells
- Find dance lessons (Salsa, Country come to mind)
- Seek local, organized leagues (softball, volleyball, kickball, roller hockey, bocce ball)
- Learn something new, take a trial class (self defense gyms, indoor climbing center, take up hiking or paddling)
- Get a group together to play laser tag (see if there are any deals on coupon sites or in local coupon catalogs)
- See what your local state, county parks offer in their events’ catalogs; check out the nearest community college classes
- Commit to a goal (train to climb a big mountain, train for a mini triathlon)
- Create a music playlist (when safe to listen)
- Find a friend to join you on the activity you select
Excuse #4: I’m Always On-The-Road Traveling
Solutions:
- Plan your travel destinations around locations that are easy to get around by foot (D.C., Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York City come to mind)
- If time allows, skip the trams and people-movers at airports and walk those distances instead
Excuse #5: The Gear I Need is Inaccessible
Solutions:
- Turn your at-home treadmill back into a treadmill from a current clothing drying rack
- If increasing activity is a priority for you, organize your gear so it’s easy to access, in working shape, and in-your-face
- Rent gear you don’t have the money to buy outright
- Look for deals on local marketplace, freecycle, or online auction sites
Any kind of activity is good activity. But, in my book, free exercise is the best activity.
Have more ideas? I want to hear! Add them in the Comments below.
Additional Resources
Social Follow and Share
What are your favorite ways to get active inexpensively? Walking is a great way and there are MANY ways to incorporate more into your days, as reviewed here: https://t.co/Tq0FTad50a #getactive #exercise #movemore pic.twitter.com/HdaHPy7PxS
— Saving Amy (@savingamyblog) July 22, 2018
