Easy Exercise Is All Around

Exercise can be simple. Sure, I do my at home, online workout every morning, but I get exercise in other ways, too. Opportunities for exercise are all around us – if we take a moment to thing about what we do every day – or at least a few times each week.

We have a huge back yard. Pots of flowers (yes, the are mostly dead due to my black thumb) surround the pool. Orchids hang in the trees along one side of the house. There is a rock garden along the other side of the yard with – again mostly dead – plants and flowers. The orchids take care of themselves. But the pots and the rock garden grow more weeds than the actual plants that are meant to be there. And there really is something to the cliche grow like a weed.

At least every other day, I am out pulling weeds that seem to have grown into bushes over night. Did you know that gardening burns about 300 calories an hour? And that’s aside from the workout your legs get from the squatting and your arms and back get from the pulling. See? Easy exercise.

The queen of our house is our 4-year-old yellow lab. Yes, we have a large back yard with lots of room for her to run. Yes, we hit tennis balls for her in the back yard. But there is nothing she loves more than going for a walk. She’s as excited about her daily walk as she is about her daily meal.

Every day – regardless of the rain or heat – she lets me know at 4 p.m. that it is time for her walk. And so we go. (I need to figure out a way to delay her once it gets hot so she doesn’t burn her feet!) Did you know that an average person can burn around 205 calories per hour walking at a leisurely pace? And that includes all the breaks your dog takes to sniff all the new and marvelous smells. See? Easy exercise. And your dog will love you for it!

The beach is a block away from our front door. Did you know that walking – not running – the beach can burn as much as 350 calories per hour? Plus, the loose sand challenges your balance and engages more muscle fibers which means you can burn up to 30% more calories than you would walking on a flat surface. And let’s not forget the calming, relaxing feel of walking on the beach while watching and listening to the waves break against the shore. See? Easy – and relaxing – exercise!

We also have a cabin in the mountains. Okay, there actually just really big hills, but mountains sounds better. In the woods behind the cabin, we have trails cut, leading back to a creek, a beaver dam, and to the top of a ridge. Whenever we visit, we take long walks through the woods. They aren’t challenging hikes, but they are peaceful and beautiful. Did you know that going on a hike you can burn more than 400 calories an hour? And you’re surrounded by the beauty of nature at the same time. See? Easy exercise.

My husband is neurotic when it comes to the state of our cars. Every car – all 4 of them, regardless of whether or not they have been driven – gets washed every weekend. By hand. He doesn’t trust car washes. And he actually enjoys it! Strange, I know. Did you know that if you weigh about 185 pounds, washing a car by hand burns about 200 calories? See? Easy exercise. And my car is gleaming!

Take a look at what you do every day and what you enjoy doing. Chances are, the things you do and enjoy doing have benefits to your body beyond the enjoyment or need they fulfill.