Signs you need to add more physical activity to your day

Staying active is important to your health, but many times you don’t realize you’re not doing enough. In this post, you’ll discover 8 signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day.

If you recognize some of these signs, at the end of this post you will see the steps you should follow to achieve a more balanced lifestyle.

Daily exercise/movement is important to stay healthy. However, few people understand and are aware of its importance.

Why do you need to add more physical activity to your day?

Moving your body is something you should do daily. It helps your blood circulate and makes the whole body feel better.

This, in turn, helps counteract many of the effects of sitting all day.

The benefits of physical activity are plenty, not only in the short term but also in the long term. It is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that no one should overlook.

Here are some of the benefits you get when you add the physical activity you need every day:

• Improves your mood.
• Reduces the risk of diseases (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer).
• Helps you sleep better.
• Strengthen your bones and muscles.
• Help control your weight.
• Reduces or prevents depression.
• Increase your productivity at work or school.
• It makes you live longer and improves your quality of life in old age.

Signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day

There is a common idea that younger people don’t need to worry about being more active.

But in reality, people of all ages should get in the habit and get enough activity during the day.

The type of activities you should do and the duration of them will depend on your age, physical health, and other conditions.

That’s why it’s important to ask for help finding a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle.

Also, many of the signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day are unrecognizable, so someone with more experience can help you find them.

Once you know they exist you can work on them and build the habit of moving your body every day!

#1 You have trouble sleeping

Every time you move your body you are using the energy that your body obtained through resources such as food.

If at the end of the day your body has not used that energy, it will be more difficult for you to sleep.

Many times a bad night’s sleep also means that the next day you will not be in the best mood or it will be difficult to concentrate, which will make it more difficult for you to stay active that day.

It is a cycle that you can easily break if you change some aspects of your lifestyle.

Studies have shown that moderate daily exercise can improve sleep quality.

So you don’t need to spend hours in the gym or do very demanding workouts to get the positive effects.

#2 You feel bloated after meals.

Jumping, stretching, or just walking can make a big difference in your health if you have digestive problems.

Moving your body helps to get your bowels moving. It helps you release gas and digest food better.

One study evaluated the relationship between diet and exercise with gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with diabetes. And found that people experienced fewer GI symptoms when they exercise consistently. 

Not all physical activities work the same for each person.

It is important that you try different alternatives and decide the best one for your body and thus be able to heal your gut.

Adding a simple stretch before bed can make a big difference if you get bloated during the day. It only takes a few minutes and does not require any additional equipment.

#3 You are hungry all the time

If you notice that you can’t stop eating, that could be a sign that you need to add more physical activity to your day.

When you were little your body knew exactly how much food (energy) it needed to function well.

However, you are no longer as accurate as before because of the influence of your environment and your family.

This creates a discrepancy between what your body needs and what your brain thinks you need to eat.

That and spending too much time sitting or lying down makes it harder for your body to regulate your appetite.

Recognizing the signs and including physical activity in your day-to-day will allow your body to break bad habits and return to that balance that it so badly needs to function better.

#4 Your blood pressure is high

Moving your body daily helps strengthen your heart and allows you to control your blood pressure.

When you’re sedentary or spend long periods without moving, your heart doesn’t work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body.

Over time his heart weakens. It works less and less efficiently causing high blood pressure.

By adding movement every day, you can support your heart health, lower your blood pressure if it’s already high, or prevent it from happening in the first place.

If you have a desk job and find it hard to fit activity into your day, try these simple ways to stay active while you work.

Small changes to your routine and your environment can make a big difference in your health.

Look for easy ways to fit more activity into your day, even if you have to spend all day working at your desk.

#5 You get stressed easily

Moving your body daily helps you release the tension that you have built up during your day.

When you’re inactive for too long, it’s easier for stress symptoms to overwhelm your body and mind.

Exercising daily for at least 30 minutes will help you get rid of physical and mental stress.

Adding a short walk after work or even during your lunch hour would help you think more clearly and relax.

In addition, the mere fact of spending more energy during the day will make you ready to go to sleep at night.

When you get a good night’s sleep, you’ll be able to wake up in a better mood and with less stress the next day.

#6 You get sick often.

Exercise helps stimulate your entire body, including your immune system.

Your immune system is responsible for protecting you against diseases.

When you spend too many hours, weeks, or even months without doing any activity, your body weakens.

If your body is not strong enough to protect itself then you will end up getting sick all the time.

If you are one of those people who constantly have the flu, this may be one of the signs that you should add more physical activity to your day.

Performing exercises daily will allow you to strengthen your defense system.

The activities you decide to do each day should be consistent with your lifestyle, age and physical state.

#7 You can’t focus on daily tasks.

Exercise stimulates the brain in many ways and helps the creation of new cells in the brain.

Allow your body to challenge itself and get stronger, especially if you include different types of movements/exercises in your routine.

When you don’t have a regular exercise routine, your brain doesn’t have access to that kind of stimulation.

Which can affect how you learn and how long you can focus on a task.

If you exercise regularly, your body produces a protein that increases your brain power (known as BDNF).

When this happens, it is easier for you to make decisions, learn new things, and process information from the environment better and faster.

So if you’re having trouble concentrating and not performing well at work, this may be one of the signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day.

#8 Your joints and muscles are stiff.

Lying down or sitting for a long time affects your flexibility and mobility, making your muscles and joints ache every time you change position.

One of the signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day is if you get out of a chair or bed and your lower back becomes paralyzed.

Or if when you go up and down the stairs you notice a slight pain in the knee or ankles.

These are all signs that you are not moving your body enough during the day.

When you exercise your muscles get stronger which in turn helps protect your joints and keep them aligned.

Over the years your bones weaken and lose their density. Daily exercise can slow down this process.

Noticing the signs and adding some physical activity every day will allow you to have a healthier body and live longer. 

What do you do if you recognize any of these signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day?

Start by adding a small amount of physical activity to your weekly routine once you notice the signs that you are not getting enough. This is going to have a big effect on your overall health.

Here are some things you can do to start adding more physical activity to your day:

1. Study your day-to-day: 

Understand how you are using your time and where you have downtime that you could use to move your body more. Try to identify where you have 10-20 minutes that you can use to add more physical activity to your day.

2. Identify the activities that you would like to add:

When you are starting you should find activities that you enjoy that way you will be more consistent. Establish how much time you will need to do it and try to make it no more than 20 minutes.

In this post you can find ideas to start and maintain an exercise routine.

3. Understand that exercise is not the only form of physical activity: 

There are other things you can do to get you moving during the day if you don’t like to exercise. Walking, stretching, yoga, or taking a dance class are other ways to add more activity to your day.

Read this post with more ideas to be more active while you work.

4. Start your day by moving your body: 

Establish a routine where you can include a morning movement routine to get your heart rate up and blood flowing first thing in the morning. You can include a short stretching session or do light yoga. 

5. Track your steps:

A study found that tracking your steps increases physical activity. This is because many times we are not aware of how little we are moving. Set a goal of how many steps you want to take in the day and start tracking it.

Watch this short video where you can see some ideas to add more steps to your day.

The good news is that you don’t have to move mountains to reap the benefits of physical activity. In fact, just a few extra minutes each day might be enough.

How much physical activity do you need to add to your day?

It can be challenging to balance work, family, social life, and being healthy. Especially when you have the idea that adding physical activity to your life means investing a lot of hours every day.

The good news is that you don’t have to move mountains to reap the benefits of physical activity. In fact, just a few extra minutes each day might be enough.

Experts recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity five days a week and 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity three days a week.

This is in line with the World Health Organization recommendation of at least 30 minutes or moderate-intensity activity every day.

While regular exercise is the best way to reap the health benefits of physical activity, it’s often hard to find time to do so for extended periods of time.

If 20-30 minutes is still too long for your busy schedule, a recent study shows that just 11 minutes of exercise a day can extend your life.

How much time you spend exercising will depend on your fitness goals and your body’s needs. Seek the help of a professional to guide you through the process to choose the best routine for you.

Conclusion

It can be hard to add physical activity to your day when you have days full of work and obligations, but it’s important to make it a priority.

Getting enough exercise every day will help reduce your risk of various diseases, support your mental health, and help you live longer and better.

To recap these are the signs that you need to add more physical activity to your day:

• You have trouble sleeping
• You are bloated after meals 
• You are hungry all the time
• Your blood pressure is high
• You get stressed easily
• You get sick often
• You can’t concentrate
• Your joints and muscles are stiff

Keep in mind that you don’t have to spend hours in the gym or engage in monotonous or painful activities to experience the physical and emotional benefits of exercise.

Many activities you do every day, such as walking your dog or going up and downstairs at home or work, can help you improve your health in a simple way.

Choosing a physical activity that suits your fitness level and health goals will help you stay motivated and protect yourself from injury.

What is your best way to stay active every day? Tell me in the comments

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