Health Beyond the Blog: 5 Tips to Get Moving this Weekend

By: Adaora Ntukogu

For our Health Beyond Blog series today, I want to encourage our readers to leave the blogs, movies, and even books behind and get some movement into your weekend! Below are some easy tips I’ve collected from my experiences as a fitness advocate and personal training to get you moving.

1. Go for a walk. I am someone who has always avoided taking those evening strolls because of the unforgiving bugs that dominate the night. Invest in some bug spray, grab a friend, and don’t miss out on this experience.
2. Go to a party. If you’re not already sweating from the swarm of friends packed in the unreasonably-sized venue, you will be! I encourage you to dance; most parties are about 3 hours long. Three hours of dancing will really get your heart rate up!
3. Try using a fitness app to track your activity. I aim at getting in at least 8,000 steps a day. Tracking your steps motivates you and holds you accountable.
4. Find a gym buddy. Some say that everything is better in pairs. Entering the gym for the first time can be a bit overwhelming; there are a lot of machines and equipment and people who seem to be “fitness junkies”. A gym buddy can motivate and support you, as well as make exercising safer and fun!
5. Move while you binge. I know some weekends we just want to be lazy. I completely understand; I had a few midterms this week so am looking forward to some well deserved down time. In between your Netflix binge-watching, try this set after every episode: 10 jumping-jacks, 10 butt-kicks, 10 squat-jumps, 10 high-knees. Or substitute any brief bursts of activity that works for your body and activity level. After this quick, heart-racing routine, you’ll need to get back on the couch and press play.