Prior to my downsizing journey, I read a lot of fitness and health magazines. Most of the magazines and books advocated buying more stuff, joining an expensive gym or promoted diets that were not healthy. I walked away from those magazines feeling depressed and overwhelmed.

Discovering the simple living movement helped me reconnect to my body and start taking small steps toward my fitness goals. Unplugging my television and selling my car gave me the time to meet my goals. Within the last few years, I started swimming with a master’s team again, ran a marathon and developed many long lasting friendships.

I can’t offer one solution to fit all; but here are a few simple fitness tips and activities that have helped me get in shape without buying new stuff.

1. Pick an activity you enjoy.

Getting fit means you have to move your body. So it’s essential to pick an activity you enjoy. It could be running, walking or yoga, but you need to like it. If you don’t like the activity, odds are you won’t follow through.

Running, walking, riding a bike and yoga are all low cost activities. You probably already have a pair of walking/running shoes, a bike and maybe a yoga mat at home. If not, start checking out local shops for sales.

Micro-action: Brainstorm 4-5 activities that you love. What gives you joy?

2. Move your body.

Move your body as much as possible. This can be hard in the modern world, especially if you have a desk job. I sit in front of a computer all day, but I do sometime of physical activity before arriving at the office and either walk or ride my bike to work.

If you don’t have a lot of free time, I’d encourage you to move closer to your place of employment. Moving closer to work and walking or biking to the office are great ways to get moving and don’t cost a lot of money.

Micro-action: Find 30 minutes in your day and get active.

3. Eat fresh and real food.

Eating good, real food has become part of my simple fitness plan.

Last 2009, I read In Defense of Food and changed my diet dramatically. Rather than eating packaged foods, most of my produce comes from the local farmer’s market. Eating real food has increased my energy level and is actually a lot less expensive.

If you have a local farmer’s market in your city, take advantage of it. I used to think that fast food was quick and easy. But I’ve changed my perspective. Cooking food at home saves time, money and it really is healthier and simpler.

Micro-action: Does your city have a farmer’s market? If you don’t know, find out and take a trip to the market.

4. Make time.

Make time in your life for physical exercise. Everyone has at least 30 minutes a day to participate in some-type of physical activity. If you don’t have the time, consider reorganizing your priorities.

Other options include unplugging the television or selling your car. I did both and finally moved off the couch and went outside.

Micro-action: Schedule a physical activity everyday.

5. Be patient.

Reaching any type of fitness goal takes time, so be patient. Getting in shape won’t happen over night. For instance, I started doing yoga in late 2009 and realized how weak my core is! I have a lot of work to do when it comes to strength training and I know it will take time.

Starting out is the easy point, but sticking with your fitness goals is the hard part.

Micro-action: Connect to a support network or find a workout buddy to keep you focused.

Closing Thoughts…

Above all, do what you love and brings you joy. Your body will thank you.

Sitting still is not an easy task. Part of the reason I decided to leave my day job and pursue freelance work was due to the “sitting” factor. Sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours everyday is not healthy or productive.

I’m better off if I work in 2 to 3 hour segments. In between those segments, I love taking walks or practicing yoga. I’m really excited about my freelance work and having the ability to set my own schedule. Time is an invaluable asset and being able to structure your work day accordingly is awesome.

A recent article in Women’s Health Magazine got me thinking about the importance of movement. Why? Here are a few factoids from the article:

• We spend approximately 56 hours a week staring at “computer screens, working the steering wheel, or collapsed in a heap in front of your high-def TV.”
• Even if you think you are energetic, “sitting all day at work is common for most of us. And it’s killing us—literally—by way of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.”
• Sitting too much is “hell on your posture and spine health.“
• We’ve become “so sedentary that 30 minutes a day at the gym may not do enough to counteract the detrimental effects of eight, nine, or 10 hours of sitting.”

Getting your move on is important whether you are working at home or in the office. I’ve tried implementing a number of tips to keep my body moving and my mind happy. I highly recommend doing some of these activities.

1. Stand at your desk.

I’ve read about a number of individuals who started standing at their desk and completely redefined their cubicle. For example, Peter Frazier works from home and has implemented a number of lifestyle changes that helped him get healthy and drop 30 pounds!

Recently I decided that working standing up would help me live a more active life. It’s worked. Along with meditating, running, hiking, and kayaking, working standing up (with hourly interludes of pushups, situps or yoga) I’ve dropped 30 pounds. My thinking is clearer for longer and you’re more likely to find me with things in perspective.

I’m planning on implementing this strategy at our new apartment and in our future tiny house. The tiny house won’t have room for a desk, so doing something like this will be perfect!

2. Get up, walk around and stretch every half hour.

Even if you exercise everyday, it’s still important to move at the office or at home. Don’t sit in your chair all day.

3. Rather than emailing a co-worker, get your move on.

Walk over to your co-worker’s desk and start a conversation. Email is an awesome form of communication, but sometimes it’s a lot faster and more constructive to figure out a problem by talking to the individual directly.

4. Instead of sitting and talking on the phone, stand up.

It’s incredibly easy to sit and talk on the phone. Some office have headsets for phones. I love the headsets because I can get up and walk around rather than being glued to one place. You can use the same strategy with your cell phone too.

5. Fidget and putter around your desk.

Tap your foot, do a little dance and have some fun puttering.

6. Make time in your day for exercise.

Do activities that bring you joy, whether that’s walking, running, swimming or yoga. The possibilities are endless. For more exercise tips read a guest post I wrote a few months ago called, Simple Fitness: Buy Less, Do More.

7. Limit your TV time (or sell it).

If you’re a longtime reader, it’s no secret that I loathe the television. The more you limit our television consumption, the healthier and happier you’ll be.

How do you handle the hazards of sitting?