Exercise For Diabetics - Find Ways To Be Less Efficient

In today's fast-paced world, we work hard to be efficient at everything we do. We may take several loads of clothes to the laundry room at the same time, carry two bags of groceries at a time from the car, let the dog out in the backyard for activity instead of taking the dog for a walk. Is all this productivity good for our health?

Everyone wants to use time wisely, but what if being less productive was better for your health? Would you change your habits? Believe it or not, small changes in your daily routine can be the difference between meeting and not meeting your activity goals. So you may want to start looking for ways to get in some extra activity.

RETHINK THE EFFICIENCY HABIT

To be less efficient on a daily basis, consider trying the following:

  • Walk around the block every time you get the mail.
  • Pace when talking on a cordless telephone.
  • Walk your dog instead of watching your dog walk.
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Hide the remote and walk to the television to change channels.

Weekly, some ways to get more activity could include the following:

  • Stop at a park when out running errands to play with your children or to explore a trail.
  • Be a little less efficient with housework—make extra trips when cleaning, doing laundry, or grocery shopping.
  • Park at the far end of the parking lot when shopping.
  • Mow the lawn then trim by hand instead of using an electric trimmer.
  • Take extra trips when carrying out the trash.

Find ways to make monthly tasks less efficient:

  • Wash your car by hand instead of taking it to an automatic car wash.
  • Clean the attic, the basement, the closets.
  • Trim trees and shrubs.
  • Take an extra walk around the shopping mall before heading to the car.

These are only a few ideas to be less efficient on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. With a little creativity, you can probably think of more. And the more you can think of and start doing, the more activity you're going to get on a daily basis. In the end, the less efficient you are in day-to-day activities, the more physical activity you'll get.

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